


Highschool and Unplanned Pregnancies

by Book_Nerd_Girl13



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Angst, Bunnyburrow (Zootopia), F/M, Fluff, High School, Teen Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:01:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 139,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26808577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Book_Nerd_Girl13/pseuds/Book_Nerd_Girl13
Summary: What happens when the summer of your sophomore year you fall in love?Not with some big shot jock or student council president, but with Nick Wilde.And what happens if your impromptu relationship lasts for two years, all the way into the start of Judy Hopps's junior year of high school.Well it was perfect, Judy and Nick maintained their secret and she could enjoy her time with him in peace while waiting for her college interviews, everything was perfect, just perfect.Until the third week of her semester Judy found out she's pregnant, and of course its Nicks.High School, A Baby, And College right around the corner.What could go wrong?
Relationships: Bonnie Hopps/Stu Hopps, Gideon Grey/Sharla, Judy Hopps/ Jack Savage (brief) (one sided), Judy Hopps/Nick Wilde, Nick Wilde/ Female OC (one sided)
Comments: 215
Kudos: 206





	1. Chapter 1

** Chapter 1: Junior Year **

* * *

The beginning of the school year ran the same way each time in the Hopps household. Wake up at 5:00 am, get dressed, eat breakfast and drop off each of Judy’s 175 younger siblings at their middle schools and day-cares. While the older 100 move onto their daily highschool lives. It may sound too hectic but to Judy, it was an occasional routine, something she's used all 16 years of her life. Even so, each day can bring unexpected possibilities, so how does Judy prepare, well by waking up at 4:00 am ready to start the day of course! Yes, waking up before the entire burrow may sound stupid, impractical even, but when you live with 278 bunnies in one household things get chaotic fast. Especially when the majority of them are females who all need to use the bathroom at once. 

Judy walked out of the shower, fur damp and blueberry scented due to her favorite shampoo. She opened the bathroom door, allowing the clouds of steam to escape with her. Quietly, she crept down the deserted hallway she shared with her seven littermates. Throughout the entire house, only Judy and her siblings had been the largest litter, it was uncommon between burrows to have an eight sized litter, but with enough rabbits, it happened frequently. 

After a few more carefully placed steps, Judy finally reached her bedroom door. Silently, she turned the handle, and hastily entered her room. Sighing, Judy looked around, eyes jumping to the piles of papers on her desk, posters laid across her walls, and lastly, her peach-colored phone vibrating on her bed. Judy walked over to pick it up, confused as to who could be texting her so early in the day. Opening her messages she noticed there were a few unread texts sent to her by Sharla, her best friend since elementary.

**Morning Judy, yes I know you’re already awake Wanting to start the school year before most of us...again XD**

Judy rolled her eyes at Sharla’s obvious sarcasm and set down her phone. She strolled over to her closet, thoughts racing over the various choices of clothing she could pick. Judy almost decided on wearing her favorite pair of jean shorts again, the ones lined with stitched in carrots. But happily trashed the thought due to the idea of her male classmates cat-calling her yet again to be a terrible start to the school year. Instead, she opted towards wearing a tight pale pink t-shirt, with black stripes moving across it. Unfortunately, it only stopped at her waist, but that was nothing a pair of high-waisted leggings couldn’t fix. The problem was that she let her sister, Julie, borrow them last week. So Judy left the serenity of her bedroom and ventured back outside into the hallway. Julie’s room had been placed on the far end of the hallway so Judy had to act quickly so as to not wake anybody up.

Finally reaching her sister’s door, she stealthily went inside, surprised to see the light on her desk turned on with her beside it.

“Good morning Judy,” Julie said with a cool expression.

“W-What are you doing up?” Judy asked, surprised.

“Seriously,” she laughed, “you think I’ll just sleep in again and let the rest of our siblings snatch up mom’s famous pancakes while I get stuck with a pity salad.”

“But I thought you loved my pity salads,” Judy gasped.

“Yeah but not every day for the entire summer!” she whined.

“Well, I wouldn’t have to make you pity salads if you didn’t stay up till 10:00 talking with Connerr,” Judy teased. Her sister’s face immediately flushed, turning a dark shade of red.

“How do you know about that!” Julie demanded.

“The walls are thin, anyway do you still have my pair of leggings that I let you borrow, I was thinking about wearing them.” Judy continued, passing on from the subject.

“Oh I lost them,” Julie said absentmindedly, focusing on a piece of loose thread on her sweater.

“What! How?” Judy questioned.

“I put them in the washing machine and they never came out,” she replied coolly.

“What’s that supposed to mean,” Judy said infuriated.

“It means that I put them in and they never came out,” Julie repeated, “they just poof, disappeared.”

“Leggings don’t just disappear without an explanation Jules!” Judy wailed.

“Sure there’s an explanation, they disappeared, but don’t worry I have a simple fix,” Julie beamed shuffling through her drawers.

“Oh, really what?” Judy scoffed. “This,” Julie said while pulling out a pair of pitch-black jeans. To say they were revealing was an understatement. The jeans were covered with various rips and lined with a material Judy knew would only make her legs look even more tantalizing than her pair of jean shorts.

“Julie I can’t wear that!” Judy squealed, averting her eyes.

“Why not! You’d look so good in them,” she wailed, “and do you want to wear some pair of shorts and risk having the entire Junior class get the chance of staring at your exposed legs?” Julie stared knowingly at Judy, and she knew in the end that her sister was right. The jeans covered up more as opposed to any pair of shorts that Judy owned.

“Ugh fine,” Judy begrudgingly grabbed the jeans, “but you owe me.”

“Hah, tell me that again when some hot senior gives you their number,” Julie laughed as she watched her embarrassed sister rush out of the room and down the hallway back into her own.

Judy closed her door with a satisfying click and threw the scandalous pair of clothing on her bed, fully ignoring them. Rather she focused on her computer, where her newly written essay for the Zootopia Police Academy stayed. The document taunted her, you’ll never be a cop, do something you’d be good at, your just a carrot farming dumb bunny. She’s heard her handful of insults and diminishing statements by the worst of those around her. But she never let them push her down because one day someone was going to prove them wrong. And that someone would be Judy Hopps.

Around half an hour later of editing and rewriting her piece, Judy settled that it was the perfect time to start getting ready. She shut her computer and stuffed it into her backpack lazily placed beside her desk. After that, she collected the rest of her papers and forced as much as she could into her binder until it could barely close.

With that out of the way, Judy could finally start getting dressed. Of course, she wanted to save this for last, especially with that pair of jeans tormenting her from where they sat. Glancing at the clock Judy gasped, realizing that it was 6:30, if she didn’t get ready soon she’d be late to school. As late as a bunny could be for school that is.

Judy rushed, throwing on her shirt and bra, and lastly grabbing the pair of jeans. She swiftly threw her backpack onto her shoulder and ran out the door, dodging her siblings in the process. Judy needed to get out of the house as fast as possible before someone commented on her outfit, more specifically her parents. They’d probably think she's trying to impress some new buck at school or whatever. But, Judy didn’t need her parents breathing down her neck yet again on finding a boyfriend anytime soon. Besides, she was covered on that part. But it’s not like she’d tell her family that, especially not her parents.

Heading upstairs, Judy grabbed an apple lying on the dining room table and promptly headed out the front door, saying a quick goodbye to her mother in the process. She began the descent on the path towards school, humming to herself along the way. Around her sat the broad willow trees, lining themselves along the pathway. The grass, smooth and dew-like, most likely from the late summer showers. The sky was brightly filled with large puffy clouds, soft like a sheep’s fur. Of course, it was considered rude to even make such a statement, so it was rarely ever said.

With a skip in her step, Judy allowed everything around her to blur away as she melted into the feeling of her favorite song, some new hit single written by one of her favorite singers. The peacefulness of the moment slipped away when she felt her phone buzz in her hand. Stopping her playlist, Judy went to read whatever message had been sent to her.

**Hey, have you reached school yet?**

The message had been sent to her by Sharla, but Judy was slightly ignoring that rather freaking out at the reason how she wasn’t at school yet. It was 7:00 but her orientation started at 7:15, if she was late for that then she’d make a bad impression on her teachers! She was a small distance away from the school, she could make it if she ran.

Soon Judy could see the overbearing brick walls of Willowbrook High. The front of it was already paved with various students, buzzing to start the new school year. Glancing around, Judy finally found the black tufts of fur belonging to her favorite sheep.

“Sharla!” Judy screamed waving towards her friend. The ewe briefly turned around, her face beaming when she placed eyes on the doe.

“Judy! I thought you weren’t going to show up for a second...what am I talking about of course you would, who’d heard of Judy Hopps skipping the first day of school,” Sharla laughed, mimicking the wave towards her.

“Oh please, I can be rebellious once in a while,” Judy smirked, standing next to her friend.

“With what you're wearing I might just believe that,” Sharla exclaimed, eyeing Judy up and down. She immediately flushed, wrapping her arms around her body self-consciously.

“Ok, this,” Judy said, gesturing to her outfit, “was not my idea, Julie “lost” my favorite pair of leggings so I had to settle for these jeans.”

“Sure you did,” Sharla giggled. Judy merely ignored her amused friend, instead, she turned her attention to the front of the school steps where an attendant sat with various papers, handing them out to students. It must be the class lists! Judy thought. She removed herself from Sharla’s side, whereas the ewe had begun a lengthy conversation with an unsuspecting classmate who unfortunately got sucked into her vortex of positivity.

Walking over to the attendee’s table she politely asked for her name and room number and quietly waited while they searched for her papers. She stood wordlessly, already thinking about which class she’d gotten into. Hopefully the same one as Sharla she wished.

Judy had been so deep into her thoughts that she hadn’t noticed the larger figure appear next to her and ask the same question.

“Hi, Nick Wilde, I already know who my teachers are. I just need the room numbers as well please,” A smooth, and a familiar voice answered, causing Judy’s ears to perk up. She indiscreetly looked to her left, confirming her suspicions. The figure beside her was none other than Nick Wilde, aka her worst nightmare.

He just seemingly showed up out of nowhere at the end of Freshman year, already making an impression on everyone that following summer. Judy had seen him around town a few times during his grand “debut” but never once did she consider walking up and actually talking to him. In her own personal opinion, Judy found foxes to be suspicious, if she just avoided them then she’d be fine.

There was a small handful of foxes in the Burrows but it wasn’t like she hated all of them. In fact, she got along rather nicely with a few of the females. Especially a foreign exchange student from the arctic, Neve, an arctic fox. Unfortunately, just because she got along with Neve didn’t mean she’d get along with the other vixens, specifically Xena.

Xena thought she was some big hot-shot just because she was a Marble fox, please if anything her fur made her look like a grey fox going through a gothic phase. Of course, Judy would never say to her face, that was just rude. Although there had been times where she’d slip and let out all of her frustration with Sharla, who coincidentally agreed.

Besides that, Judy still didn’t trust foxes, which is surprising of her, since Judy always tried to be as inclusive as she could. Foxes just tick her off, in a bad way. But Nick...he made her feel wrong for all the worst reasons, even him being here sent shivers across her body. Him and his stupid smirk, and aviator glasses, and a tail that looked so fluffy you’d - Ok she’s getting ahead of herself. Judy silently moved ever so slightly away from the canine and started fumbling with the straps on her backpack instead. Unfortunately, the tod, with his impeccable predator instincts, noticed right away in her change of demeanor.

“Surprised to see me Carrots?” Nick smiled slyly, stepping closer to the doe. Ugh that stupid nickname, the fox had begun calling her that the day they shared the same class in Sophmore year. Every day was an endless list of annoying nicknames, and somehow he kept coming up with new ones that Judy could barely remember them all.

Swiftly ignoring him, Judy simply stared forward, eyes locked on the papers on top of the desk. Just wishing for the attendants to hurry up already. And as someone was answering her prayers a kind old owl handed her numbers and information. Judy quickly thanked her and started looking over her various classes. Debate, Advanced Calculus, English, P.E, Forensics, and Theater.

Wait what?

Judy read over her classes once more, thinking that she had mistakenly read something incorrectly the first time. But no, right there on the page in big bold letters read Theater. Her stomach filled with dread, Theater? Since when had Judy signed up for theater? All throughout her school years, Judy strived to keep an excellent impression, all the while maintaining her life in the background when the spotlight only made her want to run away in fear. Sure she was in Debate and always joined the Student Council, but when participating Judy always found the perfect way to do the most while keeping a low profile. Yet here she was with Theater as one of her registered classes.

Judy felt her ears droop slightly and all she could do was frown at the page. She decided that she could figure out something later since she was nearing the start of class. Judy folded the paper as small as she could and stuffed it into her jean pocket. She started to walk away when a voice shout out from behind her,

“See you in Mrs. Hathorne's class Fluff.” Judy knew it was Nick since she so easily recognized the sound of his voice - not that she liked hearing it or anything. She turned around to glare at the fox while keeping a calm stance.

“What do you mean?” she demanded.

“Oh? You didn’t know?” Nick grinned, “We’re in the same class this year, again.”

“What!” Judy screamed, then promptly walked up to the fox and snatched the paper from his hand. Her eyes ran over it, scanning each word crazily. While doing so she noticed that not only had he been registered in Mrs. Hathorne’s class, just like Judy, but he had been assigned in every single one of her classes as well. Debate, Advanced Calculus, English, P.E, Forensics, Theater, they were all there!

“H-How, w-why?” Judy stuttered staring dumbfoundedly at the page. Nick shrugged in response and grabbed the paper away from her stricken face.

“Maybe it’s fate that we were meant to be together.” Nick laughed walking away from the frozen doe. Judy quickly regained her composure and rushed after him.

“Wait just a second,” Judy yelled infuriated.

“What,” Nick said turning around, “can’t stand the sight of me leaving?” Judy's eyes bulged at his statement and she blushed slightly,

“W-What n-no, shut up! Do you have any idea how much harder this will make everything? She exclaimed walking up to him.

“What exactly is everything?” He smirked moving his face dangerously close to her own. Judy’s ears shot up at the sudden movement and moved a great distance away from him, her heart racing.

“Stupid fox you know what I mean!” Judy hissed, keeping her voice low.

“Oh, I assure you Carrots I haven’t the faintest clue” Nick smiled, waving his arms and walking away yet again. Judy stood, glaring at the fox as he walked into the building. Ugh, he makes everything so much more aggravating. And now she had to deal with him for the rest of the year!? Perfect, just perfect.

* * *

Judy followed after her trudging classmates into the building, slowly navigating her way towards her classroom. 401, 402, aaand there it was 403. When she walked in Judy noticed that she was surprisingly later than she’d expected. Because when she entered the room it had already been filled with her peers, almost all of the seats had been filled with one of her classmates.

“Ah, Judy it's great to see you! How was your summer?” Mrs. Hathorne proclaimed from the front of the classroom.

“Oh it was...fine” Judy replied, exchanging a hug with the buffalo.

“Really! Did you do anything exciting?” she said with a joyous expression, returning the hug.

“Nothing big,” Judy said passively. Her last summer hadn’t exactly been all that eventful. She slept in, stayed up, all the normal things a sleep-deprived teenager would do. But she also enjoyed it with her family, friends, and somebody else… Judy exchanged one more kind glance with her teacher and then proceeded to look around the room to look over the various faces of her classmates.

There was Bobby Catmull, her friend since childhood. Neve, which was a pleasant surprise. A few faces she didn’t recognize, some she did. Xena was there, of course, because why not ruin her junior year before it even starts. And of course, Nick. Ugh, he was just sitting there doing nothing yet he looked as if he'd throw her entire life into chaos.

Judy mustered up all her courage to ignore his earthly presence but she just couldn’t take her eyes off him! Unfortunately, Judy had been staring for far too long in her opinion and her eyes locked with his. None of them moved, they just stared at each other. Judy knew that if anyone in the classroom had been looking at them they’d know, they’d know the very secret Judy had been trying to hide. The one she’d been hiding from her parents, her siblings, her friends, and everyone in this god dang school. Judy wanted to look away but she couldn’t, she lost herself in those vibrant green eyes.

That was until a very excited sheep tackled into Judy’s side causing them both to fall onto the floor.

“Judy!” Sharla squealed quite loudly.

“Sharla you're squishing my lungs,” Judy mumbled quietly from underneath her.

“Oh sorry!” She quickly replied as she got off the ground and helped up her fallen friend. Judy dusted herself off and then proceeded to hug her friend.

“Wait, are you in this class too?” Judy asked.

“Yep,” Sharla smiled.

“Oh my god, that’s great!” Judy screamed and hugged her again.

“Yeah I tried calling out your name to tell you about three times but you didn’t even look at me,” Sharla said questioningly.

“O-oh I…was in a daze or something, distracted you-know,” Judy said, trying to change the subject as fast as possible.

“Ok then,” Sharla shrugged it off and then moved on to find her seat. Judy followed in pursuit hoping to snatch up a good seat for the rest of the year. However, much to her demise, the last good seat was between two people she did not want to be placed by, Xena the stuck-up fox, and Nick the love of her life.

Wait - no, the problem in her life.

Judy uncomfortably sat in her spot between the vixen and tod, shifting slightly in her seat. She wanted nothing more to do with the two foxes so Judy focused immensely towards the front of the classroom where her teacher was talking about the different schedules. As long as she ignored him for the rest of the day, and hopefully the rest of the year, she’d be fine.

* * *

Judy was not fine, in fact, there was a positively 0% chance she could be fine with Nick beside her in,

Every. Singel. Class.

But of course, she'd just have to deal with it because that’s who she is, Judy the go-with-the-flow kind of girl. She was in her third class of the day, the one right before her lunch break, advanced calculus. The class was meant for the smartest students in the entire school, but there was a surprisingly large amount of mammals in her class.

Bunnies are good at multiplyi - I mean math.

Judy enjoyed her math classes usually but at the moment she felt like banging her head against the desk repeatedly. Her teacher, Mr. Franklin, was droning on about the process of figuring out the area underneath a curve and Judy couldn't care less. She’d already learned everything she needed to know about mathematics. It was, after all, a requirement on her application to the Zootopia College for Forensics. If she wanted to excel at the top of her class in ZPA she’d have to take 4 years of college with a master's degree to get it. Unfortunately, this made her future math classes long periods of brain dead staring at her teacher while not even listening. Ugh, Judy would do anything to get out of this class.

Just then Judy felt her phone buzz in her jean pocket. Thank goodness she put it on vibrate underwise she’d be in trouble with her otherwise perfect permanent record. She discreetly pulled it out and opened up her notifications underneath her desk, out of Mr. Franklin's view. Judy assumed the unknown buzz was because of her mother or some random notification from the news app, why did she even keep that around anymore? She opened up her messages and saw that it was a text sent underneath a hidden contact. Someone she’s hidden for a reason.

**Bathroom, 5 minutes…?**

Is he serious right now! Although, Judy would prefer to be there with him as opposed to this class with everyone else. if anybody caught them she’d be humiliated, utterly embarrassed. But it's a chance she has to take.

“Mr. Franklin, can I go to the bathroom?” Her classmates all turned to stare at her and she felt as if the fur on her entire body pricked up.

“Just grab a pass and leave,” He exclaimed from behind his computer non-heartedly.

“Ok, thank you,” Judy whispered silently as she hastily left her seat. She promptly ran up towards the front of the classroom and snatched up a pass from the small pile on his desk. After that Judy swiftly left the room without another word. As she exited into the hallway she wasn’t even a couple of meters away until her ears perked up from hearing some noise from the classroom.

“Hey, Mr. Franklin I think I left some leftover food in my locker, if I don’t hurry they might get um...spoiled.”

“Jeez Wilde hurry up and go before you end up stinking up the entire school!” Mr. Franklin shouted. Judy could feel her heart quicken and butterflies formed in her stomach, all of which only made her accelerate her pace. She dashed down the hall and swerved the second a corner moved its way up to her.

She could feel herself skipping between each jog and Judy felt the smallest smile moved onto her lips. A few seconds later she entered the unisex bathroom underneath the staircases. It was meant for everyone, smelled like wet lettuce, and was always empty. Which made it the perfect meeting spot for her and a certain junior, whose name shall not be mentioned.

Not this very second at least.

Judy quickly looked in both directions to make sure there had been no loitering classmates of hers wandering around. Thankfully, they had all been stuck in class right now and Judy was glad not to be in their shoes. She stealthily opened the door, prepared not to see anyone, but much to her surprise a russet-colored figure quickly pulled her in before she had the chance to say something. Alarmed at the sudden movement Judy let out a silent meep and felt herself about to punch the mammal in front of her. Whoever they were must have obviously heard her and quickly let their paws off of her before this turned into something unfortunate.

“Carrots calm down, it's me!” Judy silently opened her eyes, immediately recognizing the voice, and stared at the fox in front of her. Nick Wilde and his hopeful green eyes stared back. They both stared at each other, not saying a word, and Judy could feel the smile on her face get bigger. That was until the moment had been completely ruined by Judy’s extreme change in expressions.

“Nick you crazy fox! I would have punched you,” she yelled. Judy then proceeded to prove her point by lightly punching him in the arm for good measure. Nick then rubbed his arm slightly as if she had actually hurt him. He laughed and looked back at her.

“Carrots,” he began, “who else would be meeting you in this garbage smelling bathroom for a quick make-out session?” Her face flushed and she quickly dropped her ears to hide the very fact.

“T-This isn’t a make-out session you egotistic canine!” Judy protested.

“Really? Then why did you make such a big deal out of it when I texted you in class 5 minutes ago?” He stared knowingly as if he could read her better than anyone in this godforsaken school.

“I did not make a big deal about it!” She screamed. “I just wanted to leave the class quickly, it was boring.”

“Well if that was the case I would’ve texted you every 5 minutes of this day alone,” Nick smirked, moving closer to her. Judy interjected by putting her hands against his chest.

“Wait, this is the last time,” she said pushing them both away from the wall.

“Yet you said that the last time. Oh, and the one before that, how many times have we done this?” He said following her in tow.

“628 since the first one 2 years ago but who's counting,” Judy laughed as she swung herself onto the sink counter to look him in the face.

“Obviously someone is,” Nick smiled as he rolled his eyes. Judy playfully smiled back and pulled his face closer to hers. To the point where their lips were mere inches away from each other. Nick then placed his hands on her hips and stared her right in the eyes. Judy stared back, daringly.

“You know you love me Wilde,” she whispered confidently. Nick smirked and quirked his eyebrow in thought.

“Do I know that,” he whispered back into her ears, sending a shiver down her spine. “Yes, yes I do.”

And then he kissed her almost immediately as he said it. Judy melted into the kiss, her hands tangled against his fur. And it was perfect, everything was perfect.

That was, until two weeks later.

**To be continued…**


	2. Chapter 2 : Pregnant Girl Walking

**Chapter 2: Pregnant Gi** **rl** **Walking**

Judy dusted herself off as she adjusted her disheveled appearance in the bathroom mirror. Her fur, rumpled, her clothes, on the dirty floor, and her mind, all over the place. She kept trying to make herself look at least presentable when she went about her day but her fur continued to look muddled. Judy remembered quickly that she put a hairbrush in her gym locker a few hours ago during the first period. If she went there right as classes ended she could head to lunch with no suspicion. As Judy was deep in thought of her rapid escape plan a half-dressed fox came from behind her slipping his hands around her waist. He mumbled groggily into her ears, sending the similar shivers down her body just minutes ago.

“Same time tomorrow?” Judy slightly lost herself in his touch but quickly regained her composure.

“Hmmm…I’ll think about it.” She replied teasingly, focusing back on the mirror. Nick's stature was considerably larger against her own. If Judy were to compare the both of them Nick would look like a tall slender gentleman as opposed to her, a small dainty doe. His arms were toned and she imagined multiple scenarios where those very arms pushed her up against a wall and took control. His eyes were hardly open but Judy could still see into the tempting green hue. Losing herself in them yet again. She wanted nothing more to just grab him and stare into those eyes, and kiss him over and over again. But, unfortunately, if Judy were to kiss him over and over again one thing would lead to the other and they’d most likely get caught. Causing them to become the school gossip for at least the rest of her life. Jude the Prude and the infamous Nick Wilde? Impossible. If people found out then the Yakety yaks of this burrow would have a field day!

Judy reluctantly moved away from his warm embrace and proceeded to pick up her discarded clothes off the floor. She quietly dusted off her apparel when having the slightest feeling that someone was watching her. Judy turned around to see Nick leaning against the wall smirking at her.

“What?” She asked exasperatedly.

“Oh nothing, just enjoying the view,” he replied arrogantly. Judy rolled her eyes sarcastically while attempting to ignore the blush forming at the tip of her ears. She speedily dressed and adjusted her shirt one last time before initiating her escape sequence.

“Aren’t you forgetting something,” Nick asked from behind her. Judy turned around glancing at him confused. Had she left something on the ground? A hairbrush, underwear? But after looking at Nick and his paw pointing at his cheek she quickly realized what he meant. Rolling her eyes yet again, Judy strode over to her loving fox and placed a small kiss on his cheek.

“Thank you,” he replied, kissing her hand in response. Judy instantly blushed at the romantic gesture and promptly moved her hand away once he gave it up. Nick had always been doing “stuff” like this after one of their excursions. She secretly loved them with all of her heart but if she admitted that to him or herself it meant what they had was real. Something plausible. Judy knew that wasn’t possible, especially with how different they were. She was organized and had big dreams while Nick was mysterious and risky. Oh, but how she wanted to take that risk so bad.

Judy and Nick silently parted ways while exiting the bathroom, both leaving in opposite directions so as to not get discovered by somebody. As she was leaving she briskly glanced at one of the various clocks laid across the hallway and noticed that it was 11:55. Which, unfortunately, meant that she and Nick had been away from class for exactly 25 minutes. And that everyone would be leaving their classes to head over to lunch any minute now. Judy would have to hurry out her plan if wanting to catch up with her friends.

She flat-out started sprinting down a corner when accidentally swerving into something or someone? Judy rubbed her head from the fast impact and looked at what exactly she ran into. In front of her sat Dawn Bellwether, Sharla’s cousin, and someone who didn’t exactly enjoy her presence. Her glasses were crooked and her papers scattered messily around them. Judy quickly got on her feet and began picking up the papers.

“Oh my god, Dawn I’m so sorry I wasn’t looking where I was going and this is all my fault I-” She stopped her rambling when seeing Dawn had her hoof up in protest.

“I don’t need your help, Judy.” Dawn had said her name with such venom it caused her to stop helping immediately.

“O-oh s-sorry,” she replied meekly. Dawn quietly fixed her glasses and grabbed the rest of her papers without another word. She then questioningly glanced at her. Judy suddenly felt an unwelcome feeling creep up her spine and knew how strange the situation must look. A straight-A student skipping class, oh cheese and crackers.

“Why aren’t you in class?” Dawn interrogated. Judy stammered in response, trying to find the right excuse that would spin this in any other direction than the one it was going in.

“Umm bathroom?” She replied unsurely.

“Are you asking me or telling me?” Dawn asked suspiciously.

“Telling you? She answered hesitantly yet again. Dawn continued to eye Judy distrustfully but eventually gave it up, returning to her ice-cold stare.

“Fine,” Dawn said and proceeded down the hallway, disappearing from sight. The second Judy could no longer see her she let out a breath she didn’t know she was keeping. That was close, too close. If Judy wanted to keep up the facade of having nothing to do with Nick she’d have to think up better excuses than the bathroom. Especially when it was only a half-truth. She was in the bathroom, after all, just doing things Dawn would most likely not want to know.

Judy turned around, pushing the encounter between her and the sheep far in her mind. Instead, she continued on her plan heading down the corridor towards the gymnasium. Third period done, four more to go…

* * *

Judy headed through the crowded hallways, navigating herself to the cafeteria. Whereas the cafeteria had already been filled with a surprising amount of mammals. Among them were her friends. Judy quickly grabbed her lunch and sat in the saved seat beside Sharla.

“Hey, Judy! Did you enjoy your classes?” Her friend asked excitingly, clapping her hooves. Judy indiscreetly drooped her ears because she knew that even someone mentioning her time in “class” would only make her think about Nick. Who ironically was sitting at the table on her left, well within ear-shot. Ugh, she practically feels him smirking.

“Yeah…,” Judy replied, trailing off.

“Oh you're lucky I had the worst time stuck with Xena,” Sharla whined in disgust. Even the mention of her name made everyone at the table shiver.

“She’s the worst, I heard over the summer that she actually bullied one of our foreign exchange students so hard they moved back home,” Jackie, another one of Judy’s littermates exclaimed.

“Well, I heard that she’s trying to flirt with every fox in this school and almost all of them flirted back,” Julie, who also sat at the table rebutted. Judy’s eyes grew slightly from her sister's statement and she almost choked on the salad she was trying to eat.

“All of them,” She asked, coughing.

“Eh not all of them, I don’t think she’s moved up to Nick yet, pretty sure she’s going alphabetically,” Julie concluded.

“Guys, come on, those are just rumors,” Judy protested. Everyone looked at her giving a serious look. No doubt about it, a rumor about Xena almost always was true.

“Ok jeez maybe there are no rumors,” She proclaimed in response. Judy just wished that her lunch, for once, could be filled with normal conservation. Of course, being in a high school there's little chance of that happening

“Do you guys know what's not a rumor?” Jeanette, Judy’s other sister, yes there's more, interrupted.

“What?” Sharla, Jackie, and Julie all said concurrently.

“You know that new freshman doe, Caitlin, and how everyone thought she was weird for always throwing up?” The group nodded in response, urging Jeanette to go on.

“Well apparently, according to this porcupine in my class, in the changing rooms someone commented on how her bra size looked a little bigger and she just burst into tears.” She finished.

“What!” Julie yelled, “why would any doe be sad about their bra size if anything embrace it.” The girls all shared a small laugh for their friends' bluntness.

“That's what I thought too! But apparently, after she finished crying she told them that she was actually pregnant but trying to keep it a secret from her boyfriend,” Jeanette continued.

“Oh my god! Really?” Jackie questioned.

“Yep, and the big surprise was that her boyfriend was a raccoon.” Jeanette declared, finishing the last piece of her carrot cake.

“Wow, an interspecies relationship all the way out here!” Jackie called out, “those relationships freak me out, I mean a predator and prey?” She exclaimed to herself. Judy suddenly felt sick to her stomach and almost gagged on the chia pudding her mom packed for her this morning.

“Hey Judy are you ok, you look a little pale?” Sharla asked concerningly.

“Y-yeah I’m fine, just a little nauseous,” She replied quickly, trying to push the topic down.

“Ooo are you pregnant,” Julie dared jokingly, but with a slight seriousness in her voice. Which only made Judy feel even sicker.

“Hah I’m just kidding, who’d ever heard of Judy pregnant let alone getting a boyfriend?” Julie laughed. Judy smiled awkwardly in response, but hastily focused on the ever-growing feeling of doubt in her stomach. What if everyone found out about her Nick? Would they be surprised, would Nick ignore her forever, will every one do the same? Or worse, would he want to stay by her side, actually become a thing. God the thought left butterflies in her stomach. Of course, she would love to become something with Nick, not just these weird meetings in bathrooms or wherever. She’d want to walk through the school, with his tail wrapped protectively around her while he would only have eyes for her and her alone. She’d want to spend long summer nights with him, staring at the stars, and for him to glare at any of those stupid bucks her parents sent her way.

Oh, carrot sticks... Her parents. If she ever went public about the fact that she’s hooked up with a fox, and caught feelings for him! She’d be dead, grounded, banished, or something! If they stopped banishment long ago they’d most definitely start doing it again for her. I mean a bunny and a fox! Was Judy crazy? Yes, yes she was.

“Crazy in love that is.” Someone said, breaking her thoughts. Oh no, had she said that entire inner monologue out loud. Judy quickly looked up from her plate only to see her friends all staring at the table to her left. Where Nick ironically happened to be sitting.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t only Nick that was sitting there. You wanna take a guess as to who else could be sitting at a lunch table with Nick Wilde? Xena, her worst nightmare, that's who.

What the heck was she doing! Walking up to him, all flirty-eyed with what had to be the world's skankiest outfit, more skanky than Judy’s that is. Her arm was playfully placed on his shoulder like she had the audacity to act like that in public. What did she think they were, dating? Ooh just looking at them makes her blood burn. They looked complete together, a fox and a vixen, biologically perfect. While he and Judy would look like freaks if they ever even left a house.

All she wanted to do was walk over there and slap that she-devil in the muzzle. But not only would that cause a scene, but it would also expose themselves to her classmates. Which, right now, is the very last thing she wanted to do.

“What is she even doing,” Judy mumbled slightly, not realizing she was saying her own thoughts out loud.

“I bet she’s moving on to fox #7,” Sharla grimaced, “poor Nick.” The group started in disgust and pity, Nick was getting bombarded with her “act.” She was leaning forward, exposing as much as she could not seem too desperate, not as if she hadn’t crossed that line already. But there he sat, looking completely neutral. Which actually surprised Judy. Julie had said that almost all of the foxes she’s flirted with flirted back, so how come Nick wasn’t affected. Could it actually be…that maybe he liked her? Pfft, that’s impossible. Right? Judy looked hopefully at Nick, and for once, he looked back. He mouthed her a silent “Help Me” and continued to roll his eyes at the helpless shrug Judy gave in response. And for once that day Judy had hope, hope that maybe there might be something there for them.

The tiniest spark just waiting to grow.

* * *

The rest of Judy’s day went by respectively fast, only because she spent the rest of her classes focused on the existential problem growing around her. At the moment, here's what she knew,

She liked Nick (which was bad)

Xena was going after Nick (which was also bad)

Sharla most likely suspected something (why wouldn’t she, they’ve been friends since Judy was a kit!)

Her list was never-ending, and the ways of solving it, slim to none. Yes, Judy wanted to kiss Nick all the time because she loved him, and yes, she wanted to slap Xena in her perfectly symmetrical muzzle. But just because she wanted to do something it's not like she could proceed to do it out of the blue. There are consequences to stuff like this.

One, she’d either lose her entire social standing and probably get disowned by her parents. Or two, get suspended for attacking a subordinate. Judy could take her chances on the second option, just not the first.

Anyway, after Judy’s excruciating long hours of school, she finally began her long trudge back home. The sun was in its midday position and the clouds swirled across the afternoon sky. Causing her to stop and look and the scenery for a little while. Everything moved slowly around her but Judy felt as if her heart moved 1000 miles per minute. This entire day had been hectic, Nick, Xena, Sharla, all of them made her feel sicker than she already was. She just couldn’t focus, not when dealing with her first-ever “love triangle.” But the actual chance that Nick even liked Xena was below zero. She loved Nick, this was true, but actually admitting that to him, or worse, her parents? Judy would probably lose everything she’s worked to build. Even her own relationship with Nick. Judy Hopps was anything but an organized person, so when it came to her first-ever relationship, she did research.

According to the many helpful sites and commenters on the internet, foxes were anything but a complex partner. Red foxes were the most unpredictable out of all of them. In the forums, she's read and the broken-hearted ex-girlfriends she’s listened to, red foxes are more likely to date multiple vixens, never really picking one. Judy remembered the day she learned that she wouldn't speak to Nick for a week. But sometime after, when she warily decided to meet with him again, only because of the ever-growing stress, was the first time he ever called her beautiful. And that had to be the first time Judy ever really saw Nick, saw him for someone who actually loved her. So she pushed the thought far away in her mind. After all, if Nick continued to see her after these two years then maybe that meant something for them.

Judy had been deep in thought for so long she hadn’t realized she was already home. She looked up to see the familiar farm, porch, and baby siblings running around on the grass goofing off. Judy smiled at her younger brothers and sisters, they didn’t have a care in the world. They were lucky, lucky enough to not have to deal with feelings or boyfriends and girlfriends.

Judy walked inside, seeing most of her littermates already seated at their usual study spot in the living room. Jackie and Jeanette were sitting side by side, gossiping instead of doing their homework. Julie was gigglingly helplessly over her phone, which most likely meant she was talking to Conner. And two of her brothers, Jackson and Julian were somewhat hard at work, occasionally drifting off from their homework to talk about soccer strategies for their upcoming season. The only two who weren’t there were Josh and Jasmine, who were probably busy at their after school jobs at the Carrot Shack. Most of Judy’s siblings worked around the farm helping with daily chores but some of them preferred to get out of the house for a few hours doing something that had nothing to do with planting seeds.

Judy peacefully sat in her go-to spot, right between Julie and Jackson, her closest littermates. Emotionally and time-speaking since they were each born 1 minute apart. Like always, she opened her notebook and began writing down her much needed reminders for the week. For instance, remember to research this, or email her teacher about that, the occasional overachieving stuff she did at the start of every school year. Even after the first day, Judy would throw herself deep into her work, if she wanted to be the best of the best she’d have to be prepared.

Like clockwork, their mother, Bonnie, brought in some chopped up carrots and a large bowl of fruit. Filled with strawberries, blueberries, and every other kind of fruit that her family grew on the farm. All her siblings grabbed some for themselves but Judy felt the need to ignore the delicious layout, for her appetite remained unchanged.

“What's wrong Judy, are you not hungry?” Her mother asked, concerned.

“Oh no not really I just feel a little sick,” Judy replied. Her mom’s eyes grew a little in fear and dropped her voice to whisper, which made no difference since they lived in a house full of rabbits.

“Is it your period, are you getting cramps?” She said unsure. Judy’s cheeks reddened a little at her mother's statement, sure she’s had her period for around 5 years now but it isn’t like she wanted her mother to mention anytime she got sick.

“No mom it's just the regular stress I get at the start of school, besides I won’t start mine until tomorrow or so,” Judy argued.

“Why are you always so diligent with your periods Judy, I just wait mine off until I wake up in a puddle of blood.” Julie shrugged from beside her.

“Ew, Julie that's not sanitary!” Jeanette gagged.

“Since when did you use words like sanitary?” Julie quarreled. Her two sisters continued bickering like a pair of toddlers, which wasn’t much surprise to Judy since they’ve kept up that pattern since they were kids.

She then retreated to her notebook and continued to write down all of her much-needed notes. Including the most important one,

**Student Council Informational Meeting Monday.**

If Judy wanted to get accepted into ZCF she wouldn’t be only able to rely on her perfect grades. Elite colleges like this one only accept the best of the best, which means that Judy had to be the Student Council President, not Vice or Treasury but the President. The top dog, which was actually their president last year ironically. Unfortunately, wanting to be the best came with competition. And from here and Sharla's investigating around town she’s ultimately learned that there would be two opponents she’d most likely need to worry about. Neve their new transfer student and Dawn, an ice-cold nightmare. Both worthy and strong enough to beat her, which is exactly why Judy was worried in the first place. But, that aside, Judy would fight, she’s fighting hard.

This was why she had written down the reminder as to when exactly the meeting would take place, if she got there first she’d have the most advantage. Or at most, a head start.

“Oh Judy I heard from my friend, Scarlet, that you were in her Theater class this year, I didn’t know you signed up?” Jackie asked while trying to calm down the intense argument still conspiring between her other sisters. Judy looked up from her notebook and pouted slightly. She had completely forgotten about the fact she’d been assigned to Theater

“Yeah I didn’t know either, really wish I wasn't though,” Judy mumbled in response.

“If you want I check in Mrs. Fawns' office next week when we start assigning the tech jobs, she keeps all the actors' records in there so I can take a quick look,'' Julian suggested, butting into their conversation. Her ears immediately went up in excitement.

“Really, maybe that way I can clear up everything! Because I know for sure I didn’t put down Theater, I left the choice blank for a reason. I knew I’d need time for college interviews and other extracurricular activities would be too much on my plate!” Judy argued, reminiscing. Julian gave her a reassuring nod in response and then returned his focus on throwing a pillow at Jackson, who was in the process of copying his homework answers. Judy smiled at her brothers and felt a tiny bit more hopeful regarding her dilemma.

Maybe the next week would go by faster, and preferably better than her first day.

Maybe...

* * *

Remember when our protagonist thought her life would magically turn around in the next week or so. Guess what? She was wrong. In fact, her next week was even worse than her first day. Judy couldn’t believe it, had she upset some magical force out there to make her life even more miserable. The following week, from her 1st day as a Junior, began with her yet again seeing Nick. The stress was unbearable and only he knew how to comfort her in ways that made everything a tiny bit better. But even Nick’s charm and handsome body had very little impact on the chaos that had yet to come.

The days that followed also included her being forced to go to the very class she despised and loathed with the passion of a thousand suns. Theater…oh how she hated Theater, for not only did she try her hardest to participate at the bare minimum, but having Nick in that class alongside her only made it worse. Even with Xena in there it felt suffocating, especially when the snobby vixen focused on the romantic parts for her and “Nicky.” Which was apparently her new “cute” nickname for him.

She had a nickname for him! Judy wanted to throw her off a cliff for even suggesting something like that. However, she didn’t, she couldn’t not with her superior's eyes everywhere. So Judy smiled politely through each class and ignored the fire of hate growing in her body.

Besides Theater she also had to deal with ever concerned ewe named Sharla, aka her best friend. Since Monday she’s been at Judy’s side making sure the doe got her daily fluids and called her every night before she went to make sure she fell asleep at a reasonable time. Unfortunately, one of the nights she called, Judy coincidentally had invited Nick over after having an unhappy Thursday, due to a female fox who annoyed the heck out of her. Judy had been so shocked by her call that it caused both of them to fall out of her medium-sized bed.

The entire scenario had also been loud enough for her father to come to check on her asking if everything was alright. Nick thankfully hid within her closet so when he walked in so all Judy's dad saw was her sitting on her bed with the blankets rolled all the way up to cover her exposed body. Judy shrugged off the loud noises to be from Sharla, who she pretended to be on a call with. After her father left Judy laughed uncontrollably at the face Nick made when he emerged from the closet. It had to be a mix of fear, and shock, possibly one of her top three favorite Nick faces she’s seen. He eventually joined in on her outburst and then decided to call it a night.

He gave her a kiss on the cheek saying he’d see her tomorrow and exited into the darkness of Judy’s bedroom window. And before she went to sleep a few hours later she checked her phone to see a small message from Nick saying, “Sweet Dreams Fluff,” with a small heart emoji next to it. That night Judy slept more happily than the previous ones in a long while.

It was Friday morning now, and Judy began her daily routine of getting prepared and ready for the school day in a few short hours. Some of her siblings awoke the same time she had, causing slight traffic at the bathrooms. But still, it was nice not to be completely alone in the mornings. She happily got ready with her sisters in their separate bathroom and they all engaged in light gossip from the past week. It was their first one after all.

“I heard Caitlin’s doing better, apparently she told her boyfriend and he was actually really nice about it, now they're waiting to tell their parents until after the first trimester,” Jeanette said happily, through a mountain of toothpaste.

“Aw great for her!” Julie exclaimed from behind the bathroom stall.

“Julie hurry up!” Jackie pleaded, pounding on the door, “you better be stuck in the toilet because you're taking way too long!”

“I can't! I need a tampon, but there aren't any here!” She blurted back. “Oh wait, Judy do you have any on you?!” Julie asked.

“No sorry,” Judy proclaimed back.

“What!” Julie screamed, “but we always start around the middle of the month. It's our thing!”

“Sorry I’m a little late this time,” Judy grumbled unhappily. She’d never been late in her period in her life, and according to her sisters being late on a period only meant bad things. Either she was in for extra painful cramps or she was pregnant. But it probably wasn’t the second thing.

Jeanette and Jackie stared at Judy in shock.

“But you're never late, you're the always-on-time Judy Hopps!” Julie said, breaking the silence.

“Don’t get your ears in a twist Jules,” Jackie yelled, “Judy is probably really stressed for Student Council, so stuff some toilet paper down your pants and hurry up!” Julie emerged from the bathroom shortly after with a displeased look on her face.

“All yours, Miss fast and furious”

“Oh don’t you start with me Miss stay-up-all-night-and-talk-to-Conner!” Jackie feuded. Before the two could start an entire war battle in the bathroom Judy’s brother, Jackson, yelled from outside the door.

“Both of you misses hurry up before we miss Mom’s waffles, apparently they’re chocolate!” Judy and her siblings quickly moved into hectic preparation after he said that. Chocolate Waffles are not a thing to joke about.

As her siblings all ran ahead of her towards the upstairs kitchen Judy strayed behind having a feeling of slight discomfort. She was hungry but didn’t want her mother's waffles. Which was strangely enough since they were high on her list of favorite breakfast foods. Judy reached a hand up towards her mouth in a quick flash of nausea. Suddenly she felt herself running back into the bathroom stall and throwing up sickeningly. She felt hot and nauseous, and another round of barfing right behind her.

After a few more minutes of uncomfortable vomiting against the toilet Judy, at last, wiped her mouth in disgust. She looked at the awful display in front of her and gagged, she quickly flushed before she threw up again. Judy let her head fall back and sat there on the cold tiled floor. Her hand moved down towards her stomach and millions of thoughts raced through her mind.

Had she gotten food poisoning?

Did she eat something bad from dinner last night?

Was it really all just because of the butt load of stress on her shoulders?

There could be hundreds of possible answers but Judy's mind wandered to the only one she didn’t want to be true.

The conversation that conspired here just moments ago played again in her head.

_Extra painful cramps or she was pregnant._

Maybe it really was the second option after all...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back and with the long-awaited 2nd chapter. And its a doozy!
> 
> Thank you all so much for such fast reception, it was only because of how many people actually ended liking the story did I went hard at work to complete the next chapter. I loved all of your sweet comments and helpful suggestion so please keep adding them I loved reading it all. 
> 
> Right now in school, I'm running for Vice President in my student council so I'll be a little bit focused on that as well as school, but don't fret! I'll keep working on this story until I die. And if you guys can, cheer me on I got some intense competition. 
> 
> In this chapter, I explored more into Xena's background as well as Judy's family, we also gave a warm welcome to our new character, Dawn! If you guys have any suggestions on the next chapter should progress than tell me I love the feedback! 
> 
> Hang in there till next time! I love you guys 0w0


	3. Chapter 3 : Through Sickness and In Doubt

**Chapter 3: Through Sickness And In Doubt**

* * *

Judy stared across the empty bathroom. Her body still, her heart racing. Thoughts churned in her head over and over.

Could she actually be pregnant?

But there's no possible chance, Judy was sure she’d been careful. What with keeping track of her periods and always making sure Nick used protection. Although, there could be a chance that anytime this month something had ripped. Not to mention Judy was late. 

No, she shouldn’t worry about anything before there's something to actually worry about. If it really becomes a problem Judy will send in a blood test, those always come back accurate. And there most probably wasn’t even anything to worry about anyway! Judy and Nick had been careful, and the even mention of a baby would most likely scare the heck out of him. 

But what if she was pregnant...Judy had only turned 16 recently this year but could she actually be ready for a physical kit. Or worse, her baby turned out to be some weird interspecies freak that barely survives childbirth. Or they do and eventually have to deal with everyone's judgmental stares through town. 

Would her parents even let her live with them anymore? She was still in school so surely they would, right? 

Judy pushed the thoughts back in her head, now was not the time to think about things like this. And besides, the chances were slim, impossible, not going to happen. If they did...well, she was screwed. 

She carefully propped her hands against the wall and pulled herself off of the ground. Her stomach had settled somewhat by now so maybe that was a good thing. Maybe it meant she just had a stomach bug or something. 

In truth, the only thing she knew about rabbit pregnancies was through her mother, about three years of her life which she saw occur firsthand. The first trimesters always began with nausea and morning sickness, a  _ lot _ of morning sickness. And of course, the change in appetite, when her mother got pregnant with her younger siblings she always ate savory foods, herbs, spices, the usual. 

Judy ignored any suspicion of pregnancies and trudged her way upstairs, where her siblings all sat enjoying their mother's famous chocolate waffles. 

“Good Morning Judy!” Bonnie shouted from the kitchen, most obviously from recognizing the sound of her footsteps. 

“Morning mom,” Judy answered back, with as much “positivity” she could muster. She grabbed a seat at the dining table between Julie and Jasmine, grabbing a plate from the stacked pile. Her eyes scoured over what was left from her siblings impatience. 

There were a handful of baby carrots, some bruised fruits, and an extra pity salad her mother made for her in advance.

“Sorry sweetheart, I’ll make some extra for you at dinner tonight.” Her mom said sympathetically. Judy smiled at her mother and grabbed her salad begrudgingly. She chewed slowly, unsure if anything else she ingested would only make her spiral down a cycle of vomiting yet again. Her sister, Jasmine, must have noticed and looked at her concerningly. 

“Are you not hungry Judy?” she queried. 

“N-not really, I’m pretty stressed so I don’t have much of an appetite,” Judy said in response. 

“Oh no! Is it because of your meeting next week? You don’t have to worry I’m sure you’ll win!” Jackie said encouragingly.

“Thanks,” Judy muttered bashfully. She’d done the calculations, around 175 of her siblings went to her high school so they’d surely vote for her, but there were still 400 other students Judy was worried about. A majority of them would pick Neve since she was the “sweetest” candidate, while everyone else would most likely vote Dawn out of fear. Judy would have to work hard to get them on her side. 

She continued to push around the remains of her salad before deciding that she wasn’t hungry anymore. Judy picked up her plate and went towards the kitchen to help wash the dishes with her mom. Bonnie beamed at her daughter when she walked and they fell into a peaceful silence working alongside each other. 

A few seconds passed before her mother's ears perked up suddenly causing Judy to stop cleaning. 

“Oh! Judy, I just remembered, tomorrow night we’ll have some guests over for dinner.” Bonnie exclaimed happily. Judy tilted her head in confusion, the last time the Hopps had anyone over for dinner was in the spring with her father's work associates.

“Is dad bringing over some of the other farm managers again?” Judy asked in response.

“Well I suppose you can say that…” her mother said not finishing the sentence. Judy felt an uneasy feeling creeping up her spine, was her mother not telling her something? 

“Mom who's coming over? She pursued, mind spinning all over the place. Her mom must have noticed Judy’s expression and quickly tried calming her down.

“Oh sweetheart don’t worry about it! They're just some old friends of ours bringing over there oldest litter, we’ve been meaning to introduce you guys to each other for a while now, their kids are really successful so maybe they can help inspire some of your younger siblings as well, so they could pursue their dreams or whatever,” Bonnie said brushing off the topic. Judy looked at her mom in awe.

“That's really cool of you guys...wait, what do their kids do?” Judy said suspiciously. Her parents would say that being a carrot farmer was a successful position so Judy assumed their bar had been set pretty low.

“Oh well, one of their daughters is a doctor...another a secretary for a big corporation...I think one of them is a teacher...And I believe one of their sons is getting a job offer to work in the government.” Bonnie finished. Her ears sprung up at the end of the sentence.

“The government! How old did you say they were?” Judy said intriguingly. 

“Oh well they're not that much older than you and the rest of your litter, their son is actually only two years older than you.” Her mother smiled. She looked at her mother in suspicion, a successful buck who was only two years older than her was coming over for dinner on a Saturday night. 

“Mom…” Judy began, “is there something you're not telling me about this dinner?”

“What no! Why would you say that?” her mother said surprised.

“Well you're inviting over a buck near my age so what am I supposed to think!” Judy yelled. Bonnie looked at her daughter seriously.

“Judy...your father and I both know you’d rather focus on school than boys, which we both are so proud of, don’t worry this is just a casual meet up, nothing more,” Bonnie reassured. Judy looked at her mother, her nose twitched slightly, but after a while, she calmed herself down and looked at her again.

“Ok mom...I trust you.” Judy mumbled reluctantly. Bonnie smiled in relief and then continued back to her work. Judy looked down at her own plate and realized it had been scrubbed clean so she placed it on the dish rack to dry. She said a quick goodbye to her mother and left the kitchen. 

Judy grabbed a quick glance at the clock and saw it was the perfect time to start walking to school. She fastly grabbed her bag from the living room. Saying one more goodbye to her siblings and then went out the door. 

The August sun left the air warm and still, causing the sky to be cleared of any clouds. Judy glanced around outside seeing the vast openness of the Hopps farm. Some of her older brothers were working across the fields helping along with her father. Others were helping round up her rambunctious younger brothers who were running around the haystacks in the barn. 

Judy reminisced about her childhood days with her own siblings. They all used to run around in the eerie darkness of that barn, playing hide and shriek, or ghost tag. She loved those days, the ones without stress or stupid boys accidentally knocking you up. 

Judy suddenly remembered everything that transpired this morning. Her hand distinctly moved towards her stomach, she didn’t have to throw up but she felt at the most a little nauseous. Judy pulled out her phone to set down a reminder. 

**Make an appointment at the doctor's clinic for 5:00.**

The thought of it made her feel uneasy, even the possibility of a blood test coming back positive would throw off track. Not only would it shock her family but the entire town. A 16-year-old doe getting pregnant by a fox would become 10 times more scandalous than some freshman doe and a raccoon having a baby. Judy would probably never be the same. But there's probably nothing to worry about, hopefully... 

* * *

After an exhausting day at school, Judy opened the front door of her house, being the last of her family to walk in. Her parents and siblings' heads looked up when she stepped inside.

“Oh Judy thank goodness we were getting slightly worried!” her mother exclaimed running up to her daughter and embracing Judy with a tight hug. 

“Sorry mom, I was helping around with some of the teachers and took the scenic route home,” Judy said, trying to calm down her family. While also attempting the fact that she was lying to them to the face.

Judy was in fact not in school helping her teacher, nor did she decide to take the scenic route home. Judy was actually at her local doctors clinic having her blood tested. Before anything conspired she made sure to remind her doctor, which was a sweet lynx named Karla, that she wouldn’t mention this to anyone, not even her parents. Karla and Judy had been close throughout her years in high school so Judy knew she wouldn’t say anything. She was actually the first person she went to when starting her somewhat relationship with Nick. She had to be the only one who knows so far…

Karla told her she’d have her results in around two or three days. Which left just enough time for Judy to wrap her mind over the multiple possibilities if that test came back positive. Nick could leave her, or he could stay. She could have the baby or potentially face miscarriage. Her family might kick her out or force her to break up with Nick. 

Anything could happen, but the only reality where Judy could imagine everything working out was if her test came back negative. But now, all she could do was wait. 

Judy placed her backpack against the floor and sat down beside her siblings on the tight space onto the couch. Every Friday night her family would partake in a fun movie night to wind down from the stressful week. This night would actually be a romantic comedy since most of her younger siblings were either playing outside or having sleepovers with friends.

The screen shined up with the letters “Judy the Virgin,” and she suddenly felt herself sinking into her seat the second Judy’s siblings started giggling. 

“Girls stop it!” Bonnie scolded.

“But it's true!” some of her younger sisters all laughed. Judy started fidgeting with her paws, avoiding any and at all eye contact. As long as her family believed she was a virgin it was ok. If they found out she wasn’t...well, there's no telling what’d they do. 

After the movie, Judy retreated to her room to continue reading up on her book assignments in English for the year. Around half an hour later she heard a knock on her door.

“Come in!” Judy shouted from her bed. All four of her littermates, Julie, Jackie, Jeanette, and Jasmine shuffled into her room. They all moved around finding comfortable places to sit, Julie at her desk, Jackie and Jeannette on her loveseat, and Jasmine on the carpet beside them.

Judy was surprised by the sudden entry from her sisters so she placed a bookmark between the pages she was reading and set down the book.

“Hey guys, what's going on?” Judy asked, confused. The girls all exchanged a look that did not go unnoticed by Judy herself so she felt the situation becoming more serious. 

“Well,” Julie started, breaking the silence, “we noticed how uncomfortable you were at tonight's movie and we thought maybe we could talk to you about it.”

“Talk about what?” Judy demanded sitting up from her spot.

“About the fact that your…um...not engaging in specific events…with the bucks interested in you…” Jackie said hesitantly. 

“You mean how I don’t have sex with them! She screamed.

“No!” Julie said trying to calm her down, “well...maybe, it’s just that we think it's around the time you start looking into it, do you always want to be so focused on your work? Judy felt her ears burning up, nothing insulted her more than her family undermining her work ethic. If she wanted to become something more than a dumb carrot farming bunny than gosh dang it she was going to prove them wrong!

“I can’t believe you guys would say that! You all know how hard I’m working on my dreams so why can’t you just support them!” Judy yelled standing up.

“Judy we’re not saying that we don’t support you!” Jasmine said getting up as well. “We’re just worried for you, and maybe that if you keep up with everything things might not end up in your favor…”

“Might not end up in my favor? What are you implying, that I can’t become a police officer because I’m some useless doe!” Judy complained.

“No! But there's never been a bunny cop and even if you do get the job you could get seriously hurt or worse, scare away all the men!” Jeanette shrieked.

“Why would that be a problem! I never cared about boys in the first place!” Judy screamed back.

“That's our point! If you don’t show any interest now then what's going to happen to you later?” Julie countered.

“Well, what if I don’t care about it later!” Judy finally said shutting up her sisters. Her breath lapsed and Judy could feel herself getting nauseous again. She had to get them out of here before one of them noticed. 

“I don’t care about boys, I don’t care about what will happen to me when I finally reach my goals, and I definitely don’t care about any of your opinions on the matter. Get out of all of you.” She finally said. Julie and the others all looked at each other in uncertainty then back at Judy in hopes of her changing her mind. 

“Get out NOW!” Judy shouted. They scrambled out of the room in fear and quickly shut the door when finally leaving.

Judy felt tears prick at her eyes and the nauseous feeling creep back up again. She crept down beside her bed and rubbed her hand over her stomach. She laid there for an extra 5 minutes before hearing her phone ring from next to her. Judy picked it up seeing that the caller Id read North West, which was her alias for Nick. Her eyes quickly bulged at the screen and Judy swiped right opening the call.

Nick’s tired face plopped against his pillow showed on her phone. Judy giggled slightly and smiled at her phone.

“Somebody's tired,” Judy mumbled. His eyes fluttered open and she gazed into those green iris she loved so much.

“Morning Fluff,” Nick mumbled.

“Nick it's not morning,” Judy laughed. His eyes squinted at her in response and she giggled again.

“If you don’t believe me you can check your clock,” She sighed. 

“Nope,” Nick answered, popping the p. Judy rolled her eyes in response.

“No you don’t believe me or no you won’t check your clocks?” She questioned. 

“Both.” He smirked sitting up. When he sat up Judy got a better look at what he was wearing. Nothing was covering his chest that's for sure. His bare fur screamed at her and Judy felt her cheeks flush lightly. Her eyes darted away from the screen for a split second before finally returning once he was settled. 

“Are you ready for tomorrow?” Judy said changing her mind from the subject. Every Saturday since he and Judy first got together Nick planned a little rendezvous where the two could meet up peacefully away from the prying eyes of her family and friends. Sometimes they met in a clearing in the forest near her house where Nick would bring her breakfast. Or they would sneak around the abandoned carrot factory built in the early ’80s but got shut down from all the protests. Judy always liked to think of them as tiny dates between them on the weekends. 

“Well actually Carrots, for your information, I am more than ready for tomorrow.” Nick gloated. 

“Is that so,” She eyed. 

“It is, and I may or may not have a surprise in store for you.” Nick shrugged. Judy gasped and raised her eyebrows.

“A surprise! Wilde are you falling for me?” Judy suggested snickering.

“I have no comment,” he said trailing off. She could see in the background that his tail told a different story from the way it was wagging back and forth. And according to canine culture, and the many facts on foxes that Judy had read, a wagging tail could only mean he was happy. Judy smiled at the sight and continued on with their conversation. 

“What do you have planned?” she asked suggestively. 

“Now if I told you that it wouldn’t be much of a surprise,” Nick exclaimed. Judy pouted at him jokingly in response. Nick looked at her and chuckled. 

“Don’t be sad Hopps, it’ll be worth your while. And that reminds me, do you want your usual tomorrow?” Nick questioned. Judy’s usual consisted of a blueberry muffin and warm toasted oats. But the idea of eating that made Judy felt like throwing up on the spot.   
She tried to think about anything else that wouldn’t make her spontaneously vomit but everything she would usually eat made her think of eating sandpaper just to get rid of the taste. 

Suddenly a thought popped into her head that actually sounded sort of pleasing. 

“Actually can you bring me barbecue chips?” Judy asked pensively. Nick raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“Barbecue chips? You want to eat barbecue chips for breakfast?”

“And maybe some grilled cheese sandwiches from that restaurant we both like?” Judy pleaded shyly. Nick sighed and continued smiling at hee, exposing some of his fangs in the process.

“Alright, one lunch for breakfast for the beautiful Miss Judy Hopps,” Nick said pretending to jot it down on his notepad. 

“Where would I be without you Nick,” Judy sighed dramatically.

“Hopelessly lost Carrots, hopelessly lost,” Nick said repeating it for extra value. 

“Yeah right,” Judy chortled. 

“Well then I suppose we are prepared then, see you tomorrow Fluff,” Nick said, saluting her off.

“Hey wait a minute! Where are you taking us?” Judy pressed. 

“Ah, I knew I forgot something, it will be someplace new…” Nick said mysteriously.

“Someplace new! Where?” Judy asked excitedly, with her ears perking up.

“Now, that is something for me to know, and you to find out in 8 hours or so,” Nick assured her. Judy glanced at her clock in anticipation and Nick was in fact right so she would still have to wait. She felt her nose twitching uncontrollably and Nick laughed at the sight.

“Didn’t think you'd be so excited their Carrots.”

“Oh come on Nick you can’t expect me to sleep now that I know there's a surprise!” Judy squealed. 

“Well, then I suppose you should head to bed early then if you want a good night’s sleep then.” Nick shrugged. 

“Oh, strong words from the exact fox who thought it was morning 10 minutes ago!” Judy scoffed.

“Wow, I feel attacked, I think you should apologize to me,” Nick said dramatically, placing a paw to his chest.

“And you shall receive your apology tomorrow in about 8 hours,” Judy said, turning his words back on him. 

“Sly bunny,” Nick smirked.

“Dumb fox,” Judy giggled back. She waved goodbye to Nick and turned off her cell placing it on the nightstand next to her bed. She felt good enough to get ready for bed so she stepped out of her room, essentials in hand. 

Judy walked down the hallway, ignoring the concerned looks her sisters sent her way. Some tried reaching out to her in an attempt to say something but Judy didn’t give them time of day. If her own family, her own littermates, couldn’t trust themselves in her enough then she couldn’t find it in herself to forgive them. Maybe someday, just not when everything in her life has gotten thrown out of whack. 

After a warm shower, Judy walked back towards her room, when she noticed Julie standing outside her doorway. She stopped a few feet away, unsure if to acknowledge her sister or ignore her altogether.

Julie glanced at her and jumped slightly in surprise.

“J-Judy!” She looked at her in uncertainty, as if about to say something.

“Do you need something Julie,” Judy demanded coldly.

“I-I u-um, I wanted to say sorry.” She stuttered. Judy stared at her, shuffling uncomfortably. Julie was her sister, her closet one, it made sense that she wouldn’t want to stay in a fight with Judy for long. But could she just forgive her, or the rest of her litter?

They did bluntly accuse of her of being “scared” to have sex with her nonexistence boyfriends. Oh if only they knew the gist of it. Judy was sure that her siblings’ heads would most likely explode at the idea of her with Nick. Wait, would they also not support her with Nick either. It was possible, they obviously don’t support her dreams so who's to say they won’t support her premarital choices either. 

“I’m not sure if I can forgive you guys just yet,” Judy muttered.

“I know that! B-But I wanted to let you know, because I know how much you want to become something bigger then what mom and dad have and I never held that against you! I just want you to be happy in the future.” Julie finished. 

“I know that…” Judy whispered shyly. 

“Judy, you don’t have to forgive me, or any of us, right now, but please don’t hate us forever over this, family fights all the time!” Julie pleaded. Judy looked at her, Julie's eyes were filled with regret and hope. How could she stay mad at her closest friend and sister?

“Ok,” Judy sighed, “but I’ll need some time to myself because of this.” 

“Great!” She exclaimed running up to embrace Judy. They exchanged their goodnights and retreated into their bedrooms.

As Judy closed the door she let her head fall against the hardwood.

This week has turned out to become one of the most hectic starts to any of her school years. Especially the one with Nick starting out two years ago. She's faced the non-stopping force of Dawn. And the unbearable existence of Xena, so that's just another thing to add to her list of obstacles. 

Blood tests, running around, and the entire hard-hitting reality of it all left Judy exhausted. All she wanted to do was fall asleep peacefully for once this week, and maybe tonight she could. 

Tonight she wouldn’t think about the crazy impossible things in her life happening right now. No, tonight she would think about the amazing day she’d have tomorrow, with her one and only Nick Wilde. 

* * *

Saturday morning Judy woke up extra early prepared to start her weekend with double the energy then she had during the week. Of course, the idea seemed a little stalled once Judy had to rush to the bathroom that morning as well just as the one before. The nausea was the same as before, long-lasting and excruciatingly distressing. 

However, Judy ignored the feeling and the fact that she spent 20 minutes in the bathroom vomiting as well. She pinned the thought of it all happening due to her not getting enough nutrients from yesterday. After all, Judy had only eaten a lot of pity salads. 

Rushing into her bedroom Judy looked over the hundreds of options she picked out the night before laid across her sofa. Usually, Judy wouldn't get all dressed up for a casual meet up during the weekends, since they were mostly between Sharla and her sisters. 

But this wasn’t just some casual meet up, oh no. It was a casual meet up with Nick Wilde. And he doesn't do casual, at least, that was according to the hundreds of meetings Judy’s experienced. 

She happily compared each outfit in her mirror-like a lovey-dovey teenager. Which was true in her presence. 

Judy’s top two options were either between a white flowy summer dress covered in miniature carrots that Nick had gotten for a birthday present last year and a white tank top with fringed blue jean shorts. Both options would pair nicely with her favorite carrot choker Julie lent her last week but she had trouble deciding between the two. 

Her right ear shot up when she heard her phone buzz from its spot on the nightstand a few feet away from her. Judy rushed over to pick it up, knowing it had to be Nick. And coincidentally, it was.

**Wear something comfortable today Fluff, we're hiking.**

Judy smiled at the reply, and then quickly realized it meant she was already set! Option number two it is! 

She rushed over to where the clothing had already been set out and grabbed her attire almost immediately. Judy threw everything on at lightning speed and ran out the back door in mere minutes. While rushing through the kitchen and her other siblings Judy also grabbed a water bottle for good measure, hiking meant getting dehydrated so she’d better be prepared. 

“Hey, Lil sis.” A voice from the living room answered as she moved by. Judy retreated slowly turning her head in the direction of the voice confusingly. 

Her eyes locked with her brothers, Josh, Jackson, and Julian, all standing suspiciously in the middle of the living room. 

“Hey guys…” Judy said hesitantly. 

“And where are you rushing to so early in the morning?” Jackson said accusingly. Judy looked at the clock on her phone, it read 8:45. Meaning that she had a good 15 minutes before her “date” started, which was worrying at her at the second. 

“It's not early,” Judy exclaimed, using logic over facts. 

“But it is early to be heading out in  _ that  _ outfit choice.” Josh interrogated. She indiscreetly looked down in her outfit. Truly, it wasn’t something that Judy would normally wear but she felt the need to dress up since her meetup with a handsome fox. 

Judy smiled awkwardly at her brothers.

“What  _ this _ ? Noooo, I’m just…going hiking with Sharla, for a science project.” Judy excused. 

“Hiking? In shorts,” Josh questioned. 

“It's hot out…” She answered. 

“Sure...and you just happen to be wearing mascara,” Julian stated arrogantly. Judy instantly moved her paws towards her face.

“We were going to take pictures.” She defended. Judy took one more look at the clock and realized she was running late. 

“And excuse me if I don’t look innocent but I’ll be late if I don’t leave soon,” She huffed leaving out the door. 

“Don’t get mad at us if dad sees what you're wearing!” Jackson shouted out after her. 

Judy slammed the door after her brothers and headed in the direction of town before his statement did in fact become true. Her father seeing what she was wearing was the perfect recipe for disaster.

After 10 minutes or so Judy reached the peaceful town of Bunnyburrow. Shops and restaurants lined the brick roads and Judy felt herself feeling the smallest bit giddier. After a good look around the crowd that was already forming in the bright and early morning sun, Judy finally saw the red tod she so hopelessly fell in love with. 

What she was even more in love with, however, was his outfit. Nick had decided to wear a teal v-neck t-shirt matched with a pair of black ripped jeans tied underneath a turquoise flannel jacket Judy had given to him as a Christmas gift when they first got together. He managed to make it all go together perfectly, like some kind of supermodel. Judy always joked that he wore so many flannel jackets he should become one, his face became one of her favorites that day.

She smiled warmly at the memory and then proceeded to run up to him. Judy derived past the passersby going about their day and moved slowly until she was in the eye-shot of her target. 

Nick’s eyes beamed when locking with Judy’s and she quickened her paced. She jumped up, enveloping herself in his arms so fastly that it almost made him fall over.

“Careful there Carrots, you might knock us both down,” Nick laughed, grabbing hold of the energetic bunny. Judy smiled up at him,

“That's the plan Slick! Now, where's the surprise?” Judy said with a little hop. Nick rolled his eyes playfully at the doe.

“Always getting straight to the point with you. If you want your surprise you’ll have to fulfill your promise from last night Fluff.” Judy scanned over their conversation the night before and sadly realized what he meant. Her apology.

“I expect in the form of a kiss or I’m leaving,” Nick threatened. The thought of Nick leaving, even as a joke, made Judy’s heart sink. She huffed and pulled him by the arm in a small clearing in between two shops where no one would see them.

Judy pulled Nick down by the collar and pecked him quickly on the lips before letting go. He stared at her in disappointment.

“Now you're going to have to do better than that, Carrots.” He sighed. 

“Well, what do you want me to do? Grab you by the muzzle and kiss you!” Judy hissed. He laughed at her exasperated expression before falling into a calm stature. 

“Actually,” Nick began, slowly walking towards Judy until she was surrounded by both of his arms. “I was thinking of something a little like  _ this _ .” He then picked her up in a swooping motion until she was latching on for dear life with his head. Nick kissed her lovingly against her lips and Judy melted into the feeling, her hands stayed where they were and she loved every second of.

Call Nick Wilde mysterious, risky, whatever, he sure was a hell of a kisser. 

After their passionate kiss, they let go of each other and Nick placed Judy safely back on the ground. 

“Now that's what I call a good apology.” He smirked down at her. 

“Alright, Nick you win this round. Now, will you take us to your “big” surprise?” Judy asked. 

“Whatever ye shall ask, ye shall receive,” Nick said theatrically quoting the famous Shakesbear. Judy rolled her eyes in response but progressed on following the retreating tod towards their destination.

Both of them started heading away from the town and in direction of the giant forest clearings, Judy loved to play in as a child. She assumed Nick was taking her to yet another beautiful Violet filled opening since they were her favorite flower, but he started moving deeper in the forest, towards places she didn’t recognize. 

Judy promptly realized that they were heading uphill, so they must be near the mountains surrounding the burrow.

“Nick...where are we going?” Judy asked confused.

“Don’t worry your cute little head Hopps, where we’re going is someplace out of this world…” Nick exclaimed whimsically while also disappearing behind a bramble of bushes. Judy followed after him in anger.

“How many times...” She yelled while pushing away the branches and leaves in front of her, “have I told you...to not call me cut-” Her sentence was cut short when finally leaving the bramble.

In front of her, Judy saw a vast opening of the burrow and the hundreds of lakes around it. She saw the entire thing! All the way from this small cliff ledge Nick led them to.

“Surprise Carrots,” Nick said from beside her. Judy turned to look at him, only seeing that he had set up a little picnic for them as well.

“Oh, Nick…” Judy exclaimed, covering her mouth in awe.

“Don’t get emotional on me Fluff, I know how you rabbits are,” Nick demanded pointing at her. Judy giggled at him, then moved over to sit down next to his warm embrace. They both stared out at the breathtaking view in comfortable silence. Judy finally looked up at Nick, happy he was there for her, for everything.

“Thank you, Nick.” He looked down at her, raising his eyebrows in confusion as if he was pretending he didn’t know.

“Thank you for what? Being an awesome boyfriend?” He laughed. Judy stared at him. She needed to have this conversation, and they needed to have it now or never. 

“Nick,” Judy sighed, moving aways in order to look him in the eye seriously. “What are we?” Nick noticed the seriousness in her eyes and moved as well.

“What do you mean?” He asked.

“W-Well I’m not sure whether or not this is nothing more than our random hookups all year or something more than that! I really want it to be something more than that…” Judy said, mumbling the last part. Of course, Nick with his exceptional hearing heard it as well.

“Judy…” Nick said, grabbing her paws with his. “You mean so much more to me than a random hook up. Judy, I love you because you're someone I can show myself to. I want to be your boyfriend.”

Judy looked at him in surprise and felt the tears in her eyes run down her face.

“R-Really?” She asked with her voice breaking. Nick smiled so caringly and embraced her with a hug.

“Really.” He said whispering it into her ear. 

* * *

As the day died down, and Nick finished walking Judy home she exchanged one more kiss with her new “boyfriend” before smiling as we went. She walked past thickets and flowers surrounding her house before finally opening the front door with the family key safely hidden underneath the doormat. Although many families in the area have used that same tactic so it made some houses prone to robberies, Judy would have to remind her dad about this soon.

She walked in, surprised as to how quiet everything was.

“Guys? I’m home.” She shouted out with no reply. Judy looked at her phone, it was only 4:30 so she wasn’t that late for the dinner tonight. She walked around aimlessly until passing the dining room and seeing her parents standing there with her brothers whispering quietly. They looked suspicious, too suspicious…

“What's going on?” Judy pursued. They all turned around, surprised by her statement. Her mother was the first to speak.

“Oh, Judy your back! We were just...telling your siblings what to do when our guests arrive,” Bonnie said in an attempt to break off the tensions settling into the room. 

“Ok…” Judy said, confused. 

“Y-You should probably start getting ready Judy, we can come help!” Jeanette said, unusually enthusiastic. 

“What's wrong with what I’m wearing now?” Judy said, gesturing to her outfit. She looked up to only be met with her father's stern glare, which to her, was a clear sign that she should get changed.

“Come on let's go!” Julie said pushing them all out of the dining room and back downstairs into her bedroom.

A long 30 minutes later, filled with Judy’s siblings helping her get in and out of the shower to get rid of her “must tree smell.” Judy of course played it off as her “science project” with Sharla, to which they all believed. They also helped her pick out something “impressionable” for her to wear, in Jasmine's words. 

Judy wasn’t sure as to why she should be impressionable since this dinner was probably a one-time thing. But who knows? They did have a son working in the government after all. Judy was excited to meet him specifically, maybe she could ask him questions as to how he manages to get so far in the first place! 

In the end, her sisters helped Judy pick out a pale pink spaghetti strapped dress, covered in lighter colored roses. She had to admit the dress looked nice, even after Jackie placed the exact flower in her ears.

After a few more quickly placed looks in the mirror Judy headed back upstairs with her siblings. Helping out was nice enough of them, so maybe she could see herself forgiving them soon, just not now. 

Her parents agreed that Judy looked great, more importantly, her father. 

However, the entire ordeal continued to feel strange to Judy, suspicious even. Especially with that confusing conversation, she walked in on almost an hour before. To help ease her mind Judy helped her mother set down the placemats in the dining room. 

Around 10 minutes later everyone heard the doorbell ring.

“I’ll get it,” Judy exclaimed, feeling excited about the arrival of this mystery family. She rushed to the front door, adjusting her dress on last time, and then opened the door. 

In front of her stood a tall buck in a sleek black suit. He seemed exotic, foreign, so Judy assumed he had to be a hare of some sort. His fur agreed with the statement with all the sharp black stripes across his ears and face. 

The mystery hare looked up, locking his eyes with her own. They were striking almost, mixes of grey and white staring at Judy, almost putting a trance on her. He spoke, with a smooth accent she didn’t recognize.

“Miss. Hopps, what a pleasure to meet you. My name is Jack, Jack Savage.”

Judy blanked, not answering, then collected herself to answer.

“O-Oh hi, yes! Yes, I’m Judy Hopps, um...it's great to meet you.” She smiled awkwardly. 

“Likewise,” Jack smiled in return. He extended his hand in hopes of a handshake and Judy gladly accepted it.

Sending her tumbling down the hill of unknown chaos yet to come. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it has tough but I finally finished it! Chapter 3 of Highschool and Unplanned Pregnancies.
> 
> I really hope you guys enjoy reading it, and as always, I'm open to any and all suggestions. So keep them coming. 
> 
> I listened to the comments from the last chapter and added in extra banter between Judy and Nick, if it's still not enough for you romance-driven readers then don't worry they'll be plenty of gushy moments in the future. 
> 
> Dare I say...a wedding?! Who knows XD
> 
> Anyway, still working hard! So I'll see you next time, where yourselves and Judy will get to experience the awesome presence of a Mr. Jack Savage >:) 
> 
> See you next time! For your ultimate torture!! MUHAHAHA >:3


	4. Chapter 4 : Secrets and Lies

**Chapter 4: Secrets and Lies**

That night Judy realized what lengths her family would go through to get her set up with somebody. After a few seconds with Jack, she was starting to get suspicious when she couldn’t see the rest of his family yet.

The supposed siblings working in medical and education were nowhere to be found. She glanced behind him in hopes to see them in the distance walking up from the driveway but sadly, she was mistaken. His parents, however, were standing on the porch mere feet away from her so that eased her mind somewhat. 

Jack's parents were dressed similarly to him, formal and impressive. He looked nearly identical to his father, with the same black stripes, but his grey fur must have come from his mother. Yet his eyes were different from both of them, unique and peculiar. 

“Oh hello, you must be Jack’s parents!’ Judy smiled, moving aside to let them in. 

“And you must be Judy!” Jack’s mother exclaimed. “Bonnie’s told me so much about you sweetheart! Very impressive track record.” 

Judy blushed slightly at her statement. Of course, her mom would start bragging about Judy’s straight A’s to her friends, what mother wouldn’t?

The Savages sauntered inside the Hopp’s household with grace and maturity Judy would only notice from Nick since he was transferred from the city. 

Her parents rushed to greet them and Judy stayed politely in the background, leading Jack to his seat. Which was ironically right across from hers. She glanced around the table, her siblings, more specifically her sisters, were all sneaking side glances in her direction. 

She stared at them confused, especially when they all looked away as if not looking at her in the first place. Judy tried to play it off and instead opened up some light conversation with Jack. 

“So I heard you're working for the government?” Judy said surprised. 

“Yes, however, I’m still considering it, the idea of a rabbit such as myself working for the ZBI is still unsupported by the larger predators.” Jack sighed.

“Really? I didn’t think things were so tense in Zootopia…” Judy mumbled.

“It's always tense, but there are some times where people don’t act like complete barbarians and attack each other which is nice.” He muttered. Judy stared at him in bewilderment.

“Have people actually attacked each other?” She pressed.

“On occasion, only when relationships between prey and predator have gotten out of control, we’ve had to resort to a lot of muzzles…” He said sorrowly. 

“Sweet cheese and crackers.” Judy blurted out. 

The night continued with Judy learning more about Jack and his job. The interesting thing, however, was that Jack was an only sibling. Which caused Judy to glare at her mother for a good part of the evening. 

Jack did not notice the tension thankfully and continued talking with Judy. He was actually pretty interesting, for a buck her mother invited over. She learned that he had to go through long months of training in the Zootopia Police Academy, which made Judy burst into a flurry of questions. How did he manage to get in, what was the hardest part, did they actually kick people out on the first day. 

In response she got hard work and dedication, managing to get in in the first place, and no, kicking out people was just a myth. Getting into the ZPA was an accomplishment enough so if you got in you were meant to be there. 

This made Judy ecstatic and worried simultaneously. 

Throughout the dinner, Judy was also approached by his parents as well. But their conversation was much more interrogative than hers with Jack. They asked questions like where did she see herself in five years or what were her greatest accomplishments. But the one question that exposed her family for the lying liars they all were was when Jack’s mother started questioning her sexual life. 

Right there Judy felt everyone's eyes on her alone. She glared daggers at her mother, and she apologetically smiled back. As if that would make up for her wrongdoings. 

Judy politely changed the conversation, moving in the direction of her college interviews instead. It seemed to distract her long enough for Judy to excuse herself without seeming rude.

She needed to get out of that room, away from the persistent eyes of her family. Watching her, watching Jack, watching both of them. Judy had been down this road before, near the start of her Sophomore year. Where she coincidentally had a valid reason to avoid the bucks gawking at her throughout class, it was Nick. Slowly, by each day she felt herself falling in love with him. And it didn’t matter how impressive or attractive Jack so happened to be, nobody was going to distract her from her fox. 

At around 7:30, when the dinner had died down and her family continued on with their mingling with Jack’s parents Judy scanned the room searching for Jack. She wasn’t sure what exactly he thought this dinner was about but she sure hoped it wasn’t what her parents wished it to be. Judy wasn’t able to find him among her siblings so she went outside on the porch to search for him.

She walked outside in search of him but he was nowhere to be found. Just then, Judy started smelling something of the smoke variety as it filled her lungs. She coughed slightly, wondering where it came from. Her nose twitched quickly and she could feel herself becoming nauseous. 

Had someone been smoking out here and forgot to put it out?

But no one in her family smoked, not her father at least. Judy tried sniffing out the direction of where the smell was coming from and the trail led her to the roof. Exactly where her missing guest had retreated himself to. 

Jack slumped over himself in the moonlight, he looked almost wistful. The long trains of smoke moved through the air, all the way towards Judy and her fidgeting nostrils. She broke into a fit of violent coughs causing Jack to spring up looking at her. 

“Ah, sorry I didn’t know anyone was up here.” He exclaimed, surprised. Her coughs simmered down somewhat so she was able to reply. 

“Don’t worry about it. I come up here all the time I need to get away from my family.” Judy joked non-heartedly. Jack chuckled in response and fell into a comfortable silence. 

Judy, however, continued to feel her nose twitch from the smell of smoke and suddenly remembered something she read yesterday. Her mind is blanking on the matter but it had something to do with cigarettes and smoke being bad for new mothers. She felt the need to ask Jack to puff out his very own but she felt such a request might be rude, or pushy even.

Yet Judy still hadn’t received any sort of call from Karla about the news of her blood tests so surely she’d be in the clear. But the worrying feeling in her gut told a different story. 

She coughed again slightly, making Jack turn in her direction.

“Oh sorry is the smell a bit much?” He asked quickly after putting out his cigarette. 

“Yeah, maybe...I just didn’t want to say anything,” She mumbled, rubbing her neck awkwardly. 

“No I get it, and smoke isn’t really beneficial for pregnant rabbits,” Jack said trailing off. Her ears sprung um immediately and she stared at him, mouth agape.

“H-How...y-you...b-but..” Judy stuttered. 

“Are you surprised I found out?” Jack smirked knowingly. She nodded her head rapidly.

“Well your act was good, I didn’t notice at first. But you kind of slipped up when your mother was talking about your siblings as kits. The occasional cough when drinking your water and your nose wouldn’t stop twitching.” He said smugly. She stared at him, silently cursing at herself in her mind. 

Judy’s nose had always been a giveaway to her nervousness. Nick pointed it out a few months ago as well so of course, Jack noticed it. 

“Carrot sticks…” She muttered under her breath. 

“Don’t worry about it, I won’t tell anyone!” Jack exclaimed. 

“I know, I know...It's just that...I don’t even know anything yet plus I haven’t even told Nick-” Judy stopped herself just when realizing what she admitted out loud.

Jack raised an eyebrow at her. “Am I allowed to assume that this “Nick” is your boyfriend?” She threw her head back in defeat and giggled slightly. 

“As of today yes...The only bad thing is that I haven’t talked about it with my parents yet.”

“Well then let me be the first to say congratulations,” He laughed, mimicking a toast in the air. Judy laughed alongside him, resting her head on her knees. The wind whistled softly around them. And the only noise came from her bustling family downstairs. 

She turned her head lazily, glancing yet again at Jack. He seemed to have something on his mind, but she didn’t know what. 

“Did you know?” She asked tentatively. 

“Did I know what?” Jack said, confused.

“About tonight's dinner, and how my family probably tried setting us up,” Judy grumbled. 

“Oh, yes actually, my parents informed me about it on the ride over,” He nodded in acknowledgment. 

“Sorry about that, my family has tried setting me up for years but nothing worked, of course, you know why.” She shrugged in his direction. 

“Yeah...In fact, I face a similar problem.” Jack added on.

“Really? You have a girlfriend!” Judy proclaimed. 

“Yep, her name is Cynthia, she’s a bit stubborn but I grew to love her. We actually work together,” He smiled. 

“Aw, well I hope it works out for the both of you guys,” She said happily. 

“For you the same,” Jack repeated. They shared a warm smile.

“If you want my advice,” Jack continued on. “Whether or not your news is good I think you should consider telling your parents. In the end, it's better than leaving them in the dark. Even Nick.” 

She nodded in affirmation. Maybe it would be a good thing to finally have this out in the open. After all, she had been hiding it for two years now. 

Judy felt the wave of tiredness overcome her. Stifling back a yawn she said goodbye to Jack and retreated back into the living room with a solemn look on her face. 

Judy walked past her socializing siblings and walked downstairs towards her room. Her eyelids felt heavy and she thought she was about to faint at any second. Judy wordlessly got out of her tight clothing and into a loose nightshirt. She moved a brush through her fur feeling relieved to not appear “presentable” anymore. 

This dinner was a waste of time in her opinion. If her parents truly wanted to set her up they’d have to do better than some city boy. Especially if said city boy was already in a relationship. Judy would never sink  _ that _ low. But she knows of some mammals who might.

Judy lost herself in her bed, falling almost immediately into a deep sleep. Her thoughts only filled with tomorrow. Where she would finally confront her parents and siblings to put a stop to these crazy romances once and for all. And if the truth came out...so be it.

The next day, on a late Sunday morning. Judy had decided to sleep in for once, she could finally get a nice enough sleep to not feel like a zombie. But it was only temporary, once she started school again the next day she’d soon fall back into her daily schedule.

Judy took her sweet time getting ready, not wanting to see her family immediately after the events that conspired last night. She ran into some of her younger siblings, however, but they ran all around her not paying attention to their surroundings. 

She walked upstairs, prepared to see someone, anyone. Her mom, dad, anyone of her traitorous siblings. But she in fact saw all of the people who so horribly betrayed her last night. Her parents, siblings, they were all there standing uncomfortably in the living room. None of them noticed her walk so she waited annoyed until finally, Julie glanced up and jumped once locking eyes with Judy.

“Well isn’t this funny,” Judy grimaced, glaring at those in front of her. More specifically, her parents. After a few seconds without any responses from them, she finally screamed.

“You lied to me! All of you!” 

They all jumped at her outburst. Julie avoided her stare, looking towards the floor. The rest of her sisters all appeared to be shaken with fear. Judy was sure that after this, after today, she couldn’t find herself to forgive them. 

“Mom you promised!” Judy screamed, singling her mother out. “You promised that I wouldn’t have to worry about any more of your stupid setups!”

“Sweetheart what can you expect me to have done, almost all of your sisters are in a relationship all except you. We were worried!” Bonnie defended. 

“Jude we can’t help but be concerned about you, when your mother was your age she was the town's spring chicken, caught all of the boy's eyes.” Her father declared while looking towards Bonnie for help. She nodded quickly in response.

“And every bunny was in some sort of relationship.” She added.

“So it's a problem if I’m not,” Judy said, crossing her arms.

“It may as well be if you continue to ignore everyone that gives you the time of day! Do you even want a boyfriend?” Jeanette accused. 

“I don’t want a boyfriend because I already have one!” Judy screeched, silencing her family. She immediately placed her hands over her mouth, realizing what she had done. 

No one spoke, everything was still except for the loud beating of Judy’s heart. 

“Judy...you have a boyfriend?” Julie said surprised. 

She stared back at her family, everyone’s eyes filled with shock. Judy wanted nothing more but the ground to swallow her up right now. She had been so careful! For two straight years she and Nick have avoided every possible disaster. They have prepared for every possible outcome. 

If her parents ever found out in the past they’d run away to Zootopia and transfer schools. 

If her friends found out she’d play it off as a joke or possibly ignore them forever.

But who can ignore a relationship between a bunny and a fox! Jack had said that tensions were high between prey and predator right now. So isn’t it even worse news for her and Nick if they ever got caught? 

Well, it was too late to back out now…

“I don’t know...maybe.” She muttered silently. 

“What! Since when?” Jeanette shrieked.

“Two years…” Judy whispered.

“WHAT!” Her siblings yelled simultaneously.

“Ok, you do not get to judge me for this! Not when you all played hypocrite and accused me of not even having a boyfriend three minutes ago!” She argued. 

“Sweetheart you can imagine how surprised we are. You said it yourself, you’ve never shown any interest in boys, even the ones we’ve suggested.” Bonnie defended. 

“And it's a bigger problem if I just happen to have a boyfriend I didn’t tell you about!” Judy rebutted. 

“Yes, if you’ve had one for two years!” Her father said. 

“Judy, who is he even? You don’t talk to any of the guys at school and you ignore practically anyone showing attraction towards you.” Jasmine said. 

Judy opened her mouth to respond but stopped. Really it was now or never. She could pretend she was dating a run of the mill buck and get away scot-free. Possibly fake a breakup and move on from there. 

But Nick's words from yesterday played in her mind. 

_ “Judy you are so much more than a random hookup, I love you because you're someone I can show myself to.”  _

She fell in love with him time and time again. So how could she just ignore those words? Judy would just be lying to Nick and herself. 

“It's Nick…” Judy finally said out loud. 

“Nick Wilde! But you hate him, right?” Jackie exclaimed. Her sisters began murmuring amongst themselves when her father finally broke the silence. 

“Who is this...Nick Wilde?” He said sternly. No one said anything. All of her littermates shared an uncertain glance. Knowing that if anyone, even Judy, admitted to their father who Nick really was, then she was in huge trouble. 

“Well?” Her father repeated. 

“He’s a fox ok! Nick is a fox and I love him…” Judy said. Her parents stared at her in shock, Bonnie's mouth agape. 

“A f-fox?” Her mother stuttered. Judy could feel the tears starting to form behind her eyes, she’d known that it would go down like this. 

“No.” Her dad said. “You can’t date him.”

“Because he’s a fox? That has absolutely nothing to do with it!” Judy cried.

“Is he molesting you? Were you threatened, blackmailed?” Her father continued, ignoring her.

“Dad no! Nick would never do any of those things to me, he loves me!” She pleaded. 

“He could be making you say that, you know how foxes are! They lie, cheat, and manipulate everyone around them!” He screamed. Causing Judy and her family to flinch slightly. 

“Maybe in the old days! But now, things have changed, foxes are so much more than what you of all people assume them to be.” Judy stated

“Judy, can you even trust him. He did transfer from Zootopia…” Julie said.

“That's a good thing!” She screamed. “And he would never try to manipulate me, everything I say is the truth. I love Nick.” 

Her parents said nothing. Her father stared her down in displeasure. 

“It isn’t normal,” He finally said. Judy took in a sharp intake of breath, trying her hardest to not let the tears in her eyes show. She can’t break, not now, not in front of them. 

“I...don’t...care.” Judy struggled. That was when her father lost it if he hadn’t already.

“Judith Laverne Hopps, you are a bunny! And there has never been a rabbit fox relationship throughout this entire burrow. He is the opposite of our species, sooner or later his biology will overcome him and he will…” He said, not finishing the sentence.

“He’ll what? Go savage on me!” Judy yelled, finally feeling the tears break loose. 

“It may as well happen with the two of you together. Judy...it isn’t right.” Her father pleaded. Judy stared at him in disbelief, throughout all her life she couldn't believe it would be her parents that would throw her under the bus in the end. 

“Well...it's not like anything I’ve done in my life has been anywhere near “right” for you…” She said, looking towards the floor as the cold tears fell down. 

“Judy…” Bonnie said in an attempt to reach out to her. She quickly moved away from her mother, and family for that matter. 

Judy ran out of the living room in pursuit of the door. Ignoring all of the shouting voice from behind her. She dashed out the front door and swerved behind the far side of the house, that part completely out of sight. 

Judy let herself fall down the brick wall, her head fell into her hands tiredly. From the distance, she could hear the thundering steps of her family running outside in pursuit of her. They’d find her sooner or later, and she wasn’t about to let that happen. 

She quietly got up, wiping her eyes as much as she could, and ran into the distance, away from the house. Judy didn’t know where she was running until she looked back to see her house far in the distance. She finally stopped running.

Out of breath, Judy sat down by a nearby tree stump. She looked up to see that she had run all the way into the forest surrounding the burrow. It was quiet, so she assumed her family hadn’t run this way in search of her. 

Judy let out a long breath of relief, throwing her head back against the stump. Her eyes were still damp from the tears and she could feel herself on the brink of a breakdown any second from now. She needed to see someone, anybody. 

Judy pulled out her phone and scrolled down the list of her various contacts. Sharla...she’d be too worried, Dawn...hard no (plus she worked at the clinic on Sundays), Karla...also busy. She couldn’t dump her problems on her friends at the moment, Judy didn’t even know what their reactions would be. She’d kept this secret from her parents and them as well. So the responses could be surprising.

Her paw stopped, hovering over one name. North West. Judy heaved a great sigh and clicked on the contact. In truth, the person she should be seeing the most of right now is Nick. Especially when her blood results might be coming in later today. 

She dialed his number waiting a few seconds after each ring. Judy hoped he wouldn’t pick up, that he’d ignore her calls. But of course, Nick being the amazing boyfriend he was picked up right away. 

“Hey, Carrots, what's up?” He replied smoothly. 

“U-um, h-hey Nick…” Judy hiccuped slightly, her throat still sore from the yelling that conspired before. His voice changed from calm to worried in mere seconds.

“Judy is everything alright?” Nick said. 

“U-um...yeah...no, not really,” She mumbled into the phone. 

“Why, what happened?” He exclaimed.

“Well...” She hesitated, could Judy actually tell him what happened, tell the fox that she loved that her own parents would never approve of him. 

No, she had to, if there was any chance they’d be together she’d have to. 

“Actually, can you come pick me up...I need to tell you something.” Judy finally said. 

Around 25 minutes later Judy eventually heard the sounds of Nick’s familiar voice shouting from afar. She got up with no hesitation and ran in his direction. 

This morning has been chaotic in more ways than one. And all she needed right now was some time alone with the fox she loved.

Judy rushed out of the clearing finally seeing him looking for her around the forest. She shouted his name as loud as she could, while still catching her breath.

“Nick!”

He turned around from the sound of her voice and his face immediately lit up when seeing her. She rushed towards him, jumping into his arms. Her “happy” demeanor was just on the verge of collapsing. 

“I’m so sorry,” Judy said, her voice lined with regret. 

“Sorry for what,” He asked, looking into her eyes. She stifled back a cry for help, knowing it would just make the situation worse. Judy stared him straight in the eyes, trying her hardest not to break down right then and there. 

“I...I told my parents,” She said, letting the words fall out. He stared at her in shock. Judy knew he’d be surprised, especially with their silent agreement years ago to not tell both of their parents until after their graduation.

“What...Wait a-are they ok with it?” Nick asked hopefully. Judy avoided his eyes, staring at the ground. He took the hint mimicking her solemn look. 

“So that would be a no...did it just happen?” Nick said, concerned. She simply nodded, placing her head against his chest. 

He draped his arms around her in a protective hug as Judy melted into the feeling. 

“Nick what do I do...they hate me now.” She muttered sadly. 

“Carrots, listen to me,” Nick said, looking her in the eyes seriously. “They don’t hate you, they're your parents! Parents worry about their kids from time to time, when I transferred here my mom wouldn’t stop calling me!” He laughed. Judy giggled slightly, she knew what having an overprotective mother was like.

But he was right, her parents would be worried. What kind of good one wouldn’t. If Judy was a mother she’d see herself obsessing over her own children in ways similar to that of her parents. Of course, she wouldn’t try diminishing them for who they fell in love with or who they’d want to become. 

She stared into Nick’s loving eyes and kissed him right there. She let his hands run through her fur comfortingly and for once that day Judy felt herself at peace. 

“Thank you,” She said, hugging Nick. 

“Well how can I be an amazing boyfriend if I don’t help my significant other from time to time,” He smirked. 

“From time to time?” Judy questioned.

“Ok, ok,  _ all _ the time,” Nick said begrudgingly. Judy laughed and hugged him tightly. They stayed like that for a few seconds, wrapped within each other's arms. When suddenly Judy felt a sudden buzz in her pocket. 

Confused, she pulled herself from Nick’s embrace, much to his displeasure, and pulled out the mysterious buzzing objects. She was surprised to find her phone in her pocket, Judy must have forgotten about grabbing it when rushing out of the house.

She unlocked her phone, seeing that the reason it was buzzing was that her parents had been calling her. Her ears dropped behind her head worriedly and Nick saw her change in demeanor very quickly. 

“Is it them?” He asked. 

“Yeah…” Judy sighed. He looked askance for a few seconds as if thinking something. As a few seconds flew by, and the buzz continued to come he finally looked Judy in the eye.

“Go, it's fine, you should talk to them. And when you need help, just call me.” Nick smiled. He kissed her on the head causing Judy to blush a little, but she still smiled back as she saw him walk off in the other direction. 

She stood in the emptiness of the forest for a few more minutes, enjoying the silence, until finally deciding to head back home. After a short walk through the meadows, she eventually saw the smoke rising through the family's chimney and quickened her pace.

Judy quietly slipped through the door, thinking her family had hopefully moved on. But, unfortunately, they had been waiting for her in the foyer the second she went in. 

“Judy!” They all screamed with relief. Her family rushed to overcome her with hugs and statements of worry. She glanced afar, over all of her concerned siblings, and saw her dad standing uncomfortably in the living room, far away from everyone else. 

Judy caught his eye but promptly looked away, she was in no interest to speak with him. Maybe tomorrow, maybe never, but she would never give in first. 

After the commotion died down she apologized to her mother for leaving without letting anyone know where it was. Judy thought she should at least explain herself for that. Of course, she intentionally left out the part of her time with Nick, not like that would help the situation in any way. 

As her siblings tried to explain themselves or at least bluntly apologize Judy felt her phone buzz yet again in her pocket. She excused herself, feeling the need to get some time alone anyway and head downstairs to the loneliness of her room. Which was ironically perfect for such sensitive phone calls.

She opened the call, not bothering to check the id since she had already assumed it might have been Nick checking in on her. 

“Hello,” Judy said into her phone.

“Hey, Judy! It's Karla, I just wanted to talk to you about your results.” She almost dropped the phone. Judy had completely forgotten about her blood tests with everything that had happened earlier. She had initially assumed the results would be coming in tomorrow, but of course, Karla had to be diligent! Not that she minded, of course.

“Karla! Hi...so, what did they say” She asked hesitantly. There are a few seconds of silence, then some shuffling until finally a response. 

“Well Judy, I suppose congratulations are in order,” Karla replied cheerfully. “Because you're pregnant!” 

She ignored everything else Karla had said thereafter, for it had been reduced to incoherent mumbling in her ears. The pounding in her heart was all Judy could focus on now.

“W-Wow...really?” She stuttered. 

“Yep, and I’ll have to set up an appointment with you in two weeks for an ultrasound. Will anyone be coming with you?” Karla questioned. 

Her mind blanked. All Judy could think about was that she was pregnant and Nick’s the father. 

There was a kit in her body and Nick was responsible. She was responsible!

It was true, the vomiting, the nausea, her drastic change in appetite. All of it was because of this baby. Or babies, plural!

How was she ever going to tell Nick, how was she ever going to tell her parents?

“Judy? Are you still there?” Karla asked, breaking her thoughts. 

“Oh, um yeah. I might need to get back on you on that.” Judy said. She closed the call and let the phone slip out of her hands and fall to the floor. She fell with it, hitting her head against the door. 

Judy was pregnant...and she had no idea how to tell Nick. 

**To be Continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, 4 chapters already! Can't wait to meet our milestone of 10!
> 
> I hope you guys like this one better than the last, especially with all the complaints. 
> 
> I know you guys weren't exactly happy with my choice of putting Jack in the chapter but like I said before he's gone now and will most likely not come back unless I need him to. All that he serves for is a supportive character Judy can sort of lean on in this part, nothing more.
> 
> And the only love triangle that will ever conspire in this series will be the ALLEGED one between Nick, Xena, and Judy >:) 
> 
> She may or may not tell Nick about the pregnancy in the next chapter, I'll find out from there. 
> 
> Anyway, I really hope you guys end up liking the chapter, and any suggestions are highly recommended!


	5. Chapter 5 : Revenge is Best Served Sweet

**Chapter 5: Revenge is Best Served Sweet**

* * *

When Judy was 4 years old she experienced the first time her mother ever told the family she was pregnant. All of her relatives showed up and it felt like a giant celebration. If all celebrations were filled with about thousands of bunnies cramped up in one household. 

She remembered that not only her family had shown up that day, but some of the other residents of Bunnyburrow as well, specifically the neighboring farms and Judy’s kindergarten friends. They all gave their congrats and even helped prepare the new nursery room given its probable size. 

That day Judy felt an indescribable feeling. Whether it was love or confusion all she knew was that her family was happy and she was happy for them. When her mother dropped the big surprise on her father she remembered distinctly how ecstatic he was.

He screamed with joy, telling everyone, and I mean _everyone_ , in town that same day. Judy had never seen her father so excited before in her life. Except, of course, whenever there was a new harvest. 

Judy loved that day and every similar one after that. It made her think about the day far in the future where she was preferably 25 or younger and about to tell her husband the same news. He’d be excited, just like her dad, and spin her all around the room.

As the years went by she kept up this fantasy, while tweaking some parts of it as her mind grew. She’d be a police officer, hopefully up for promotion soon after solving some big case, and she and her partner would be married 2 years ago that very day. Which served as the perfect anniversary surprise in her opinion. 

There were multiple occasions where she had imagined her fairytale husband would most likely be a rabbit. Since that was she was born to believe, her parents would be the happiest if she ended up with some handsome buck. Judy continued to believe so until somewhere in her middle school years, where she began to discover bucks for who they really were. Arrogant, unsupportive, farm obsessed bunnies.

It was only on occasion when some of them were barely tolerable. 

She assumed that it was a rough patch at first, that maybe in the future she’d hopefully meet some nice and caring buck who saw her for who she really was. Unfortunately, that never happened, at least not for Judy anyway.

The day she realized her potential husband might not end up becoming a rabbit was late into her freshman year. Where Judy met the first mammal she’d ever call her boyfriend. 

It was a small thing, a little spark, she had ended up crushing on this confident, no-good stag who ended up breaking her heart. The details aren’t important, all Judy could remember from her time with him was that after he proved to her how unpredictable falling in love could be she swore off boys. Judy pushed him away after that, the entire thing had really just been some fling, nothing serious. She didn’t lose her virginity to him of course. But she did lose her heart.

After that, the years went by and she met the cunning Nick Wilde and did everything all over again. Except this time, he didn’t end up breaking her heart. 

* * *

Monday morning Judy woke up bright and early for two reasons.

  1. She had the very important Student Council Meeting which was integral to get into the college of her choice. 
  2. She was also hit with a spell of morning sickness since learning of her new pregnancy. 



Judy got through the rest of the morning with sheer determination and complete disregard for her own bodily care. Her siblings awoke sometime after her and they all went upstairs to enjoy their pre-prepared breakfast since her mother had to drop off Judy’s younger siblings at an important school meeting that same day. 

The night before she had thankfully asked her mother in advance what she would want for breakfast. Being newly pregnant but not completely wanting to drop the bomb on her mother yet, she asked for something good enough so that she wouldn't throw it all up while still being inconspicuous. 

That morning Judy was able to enjoy her plate of lightly salted yams and a bowl of almonds while not having to worry about the barely breathing fetus growing in her body.

After fully clearing her plate she started to head out the door before realizing she had forgotten her phone downstairs. Judy walked back to her room when she saw Julie walking out of the bathroom with a nauseous look on her face. 

“Hey is everything alright? Are you sick?” She asked. 

“No, but someone is,” Julie said with disgust. Judy stared at her sister in confusion.

“What do you mean?” 

“I don’t know but someone threw up in the bathroom and forgot to clean it up.” She finished. 

Judy’s nose twitched slightly. Had _she_ forgotten to clean up this morning?

“M-Maybe someone got a stomach bug or something,” She said, trying to change the subject. 

“Maybe...Hey are you ok,” Julie asked looking at her. 

“What! Why would you ask that” Judy interrogated. 

“Well, you're still late on your period. Right? Plus yesterday was kind of stressful.” Julie responded. 

“Oh! Um, yeah...still late, getting a ton of cramps,” Judy lied, placing a hand towards her stomach.

“You need some aspirin?” Julie said. 

“No no it's fine, I should head to school anyway…” She shrugged. 

“Ok,” Julie smiled and started to walk back upstairs. Judy began walking back towards her room when she turned around after hearing Julie call out her name.

“Judy!” 

Her ears twitched and she looked back at her sister.

“Yeah?” Judy said. 

“I…” Julie stammered. “I hope...that everything works out between you and Nick…” 

She stared at her in surprise, but slowly smiled back at Julie and nodded her head in acknowledgment. 

“Thanks, Jules.” Judy grinned. 

“N-No problem.” Julie beamed. They both turned around and went about their ways, Julie on her path and Judy on hers. 

Who knows, maybe she could find herself forgiving just one of her siblings for now. 

* * *

Judy walked into the double doors of Willowbrook, reveling in the silence that scoured the halls. She cruised past the empty classrooms until stopping in front of room 206. Or more precisely, the room that would help determine the rest of her future here. 

She stepped inside, pleased to see that the only other person there was Ms. James, their school's headmaster. Ms. James had been running the school for 9 years now and she still managed to improve it every day. 

Most people have never seen an Abert squirrel but once they did it was a rare sight. From their charcoal fur and their long tails, but what caught everyone's eyes was their unique ears. 

Judy enjoyed Ms. James, she praised Judy for her work ethic and was one of the few people who encouraged her towards her goals. 

“Hi, Ms. James!” Judy exclaimed. The squirrel turned around and beamed when she saw Judy walk in.

“Oh, Judy! You're the first one here. As always...” She smirked. 

“You know me, can’t stop when it's my dreams at stake,” Judy laughed.

“That's what I like to hear from my star student!” Ms. James smiled. She giggled when hearing her words and quickly found a spot right at the front, close to the board. Which meant it was the perfect spot for her to take notes.

Judy pulled out her notebook and signature carrot pen her siblings gifted her years ago. She stared at the pen for a few seconds, thinking back to the days where there weren't things like potential kits to worry about. 

Her thoughts were broken by the sound of the door creaking open. Judy looked up, ears flinching. 

A small figure walked through the doorway causing all of Judy’s senses to be on edge. Dawn Bellwether sauntered in, her presence sending spikes through her heart rate. 

Judy locked eyes with Dawn and cowered, she didn’t look away. She was right to assume that Dawn would be there as well, Student Council President is as good of a title as any. Colleges would be begging this year's president to attend their schools but humbly ignore those below them.

“Good morning Ms. James!” Dawn proclaimed happily. She then turned to face her, a slight maniacal stare flashed through her eyes but quickly disappeared. Judy must have imagined it. 

“Good morning Judy…” She replied less enthusiastically. 

“U-um...morning Dawn…” Judy stuttered hesitantly. She stared at the doe with a conniving look, as if planning something diabolical in her head. Judy looked away uncomfortably, anything that had to do with Dawn surely wouldn’t go towards her benefit. 

She remembered when Sharla and Dawn had started with Judy in their freshman year. At first, she thought Dawn was sweet, trustworthy even. But after seeing how badly she treated the predator students Judy’s opinion towards her quickly changed. It was the same every time, someone would try to treat her nicely and Dawn would either react suspiciously or downright rude. 

When Nick had first transferred Dawn hadn't given him a second glance. Judy knew sheep and foxes had bad blood but she didn’t expect Dawn to treat him so terribly. Now anytime Judy even passes her in the hallways a simple wave would send a glare in her direction. 

She swiftly ignored the doe, grabbing a seat parallel to her own. Judy could feel her nose shaking and she shyly covered her paws so as to not let Dawn see her fear. She would probably say something along the lines of

“Really, you're scared of _me_? How pathetic…”

The words ringed through Judy’s mind as she hesitantly glanced towards Dawn. She was so surprised at Dawn looking right back at her that Judy almost fell out of her chair. 

Dawn’s face remained expressionless, until finally breaking the silence.

“So how was your weekend Judy? Did anything _interesting_ happen,” She asked, focusing on the one word. 

Judy glared skeptically at Dawn. Was she implying something?

“No, not really...Had some dinner with family friends,” she said, trying to change the subject. “Did you do anything Dawn?” 

“Oh, I don’t do much on the weekends, just a little volunteering at the doctor's clinic,” Dawn mumbled non-heartedly. 

That's right, Dawn always did her required internships at the doctor's clinic where Karla worked according to Sharla. Judy had found that a bit strange, given the fact that Dawn seemed like the least likely mammal to want to help others. Unless of course, it was in her favor. 

“Was it eventful this week?” Judy asked carefully. 

“Oh, it was the average stuff you’d normally see. Fractured shoulders, some cases of the flu, lots of confusing blood tests…” Dawn said, engaging in the conversation. 

“Really! Were any of the patients surprising?” Judy smiled, happy to be finally speaking with the ewe without any hint of fear in her voice.

“Yeah, actually. Sometimes Ms. Sanchez lets me help with some of her patients and one of the blood tests I helped with came back positive for pregnancy.” She trailed off. 

Now Judy’s nose was twitching out of control. She hurriedly tried to cover it up, hoping Dawn wouldn’t notice. But the connections were crystal clear! Dawn worked at the doctor's clinic, the exact one where she had gotten her blood test on Friday. The chances are she was able to catch a glimpse at her file and saw her results! 

Before Judy had the chance to say anything back to her Neve skipped into the room with a cheerful face.

“Morning everyone!” She said with a slight accent. 

“Great! You're all here and accounted for so I can start the meeting.” Ms. James clapped. 

She quickly started out with her extensive PowerPoint and the few peaceful seconds between Dawn and Judy soon vanished. Dawn moved her attention towards the board and Judy quickly followed, attempting to include any type of helpful notes. 

But for the rest of the meeting, only one questing swarmed Judy’s mind.

 **Did Dawn know?** ****

She hoped for her sake and Nicks, she didn’t.

* * *

As the meeting ended and Judy waved goodbye to Ms. James and Neve, she shyly waited in the empty hallway, expecting Dawn to walk out any second. The minutes stretched out, feeling like years, but finally, Dawn walked out of room 206 catching Judy’s eye almost instantly. 

They stood still, none of them saying a word. 

The ordeal felt like one of those scenes in those western dramas Judy watched as a child. Where the protagonist and the villain met face to face, standing dramatically across from one another as the town villagers cowered away. Leaving them to their potential duel. 

In Judy’s case, there weren't any town villagers watching, no potential duel, but there was a villain in her midst. None other than Dawn Bellwether. 

Finally, breaking the silence, Dawn spoke.

“Judy...do you need something?” 

“Yes...u-um, I need to ask you something…” Judy said quietly. Dawn stared at her, thinking, not saying a word. Then she spoke.

“Why? Do you want to find out if I know you're pregnant?” 

Judy’s ears sprung up. She knew it!

“So you did know! How? From Karla?” She accused Dawn. 

“Of course not! You really think she would tell me directly. I found out because I know _everyone's_ medical records. They're helpful If I ever needed a favor from these pathetic losers.” Dawn grimaced. 

Judy bulged her eyes in shock, Dawn would really go to such lengths for her benefit. 

“So?” she asked. “What do you want? A favor, blackmail, revenge?” 

“Judy...who do you take me for? An idiot? I want you to drop out of the race, or at least sabotage yourself while you're at it.” She suggested. 

“B-But I need to be president! If I don’t then…” Judy didn’t bother finishing the sentence. She already knew what would happen if she didn’t manage to get president. Colleges wouldn’t be impressed, they’d ignore her and pay attention to the more capable students, practically all of whom weren’t rabbits. Judy needed this if mammals out there were ever going to see her as something more than a dumb carrot farming bunny. 

Dawn noticed her silence of a response. 

“Well?” She persisted. 

“C-Can’t you just be vice president?” Judy pleaded. 

“I am not some sidekick! If you even try to uppercut me out of the position I will make sure _everyone_ in this stupid school finds out about you and your interspecies freak!” Dawn threatened. 

“Interspecies...Wait! You-” Judy began surprised.

“Of course I know Nick is the father. It's obvious if anyone bothered to pay close attention to both of you.” She laughed evilly throwing back her head. “And you bet I’ll let everyone find out about that as well.” 

“H-How could you?” Judy stuttered. 

“How couldn’t I? Information like this would go unused by every stuck up female in this entire burrow. Surely it's obvious I would use this to help out myself. So, you're going to follow my instructions and do everything in your power to make it seem like I’m the best candidate. Ok?” Dawn smiled menacingly. 

“I-I...fine…” Judy agreed, looking at the floor in defeat. 

“Great!” Dawn exclaimed walking away to her classroom. But before she turned the corner escaping from Judy’s eyesight she called out precariously. 

“Remember! Don’t forget about our deal! Or I’ll make you live to regret it…” 

And just like that, she was gone. Judy stood in the dimly lit halls, rethinking every single one of her decisions leading up to these last few minutes. She couldn't really see herself leaving the situation in her favor. But she couldn’t seem to find herself leaving it happy either. 

If Judy was ever going to get out of this she had to start somewhere, maybe that meant starting with Nick. She had to tell him, better late than never. 

* * *

As Judy walked around looking for Nick amongst the ever-growing crowd of students outside she ran into Sharla, who had been talking up a storm within the intriguing circle formed by her classmates. 

“Judy! Oh my god did you hear?” She screamed energetically.

“Um, no, why? What's going on?” Judy said, not completely focusing on the ewes words rather than look behind her in search of Nick.

“There's a new student coming today!” Someone from the group answered.

“She’s another transfer from Zootopia!” Another voice continued. 

“Wow, another transfer? What’s her name?” Judy asked excitedly. 

“Apparently her name is Simone, she's a Cape fox,” Sharla replied happily before dropping her voice to an unsuspecting whisper. “And there have been some rumors that she and Nick know each other. Xena is livid.” 

Judy felt her stomach go uneasy, nauseous even. Has this Simone really known Nick? And if so, why hadn’t he told Judy about her? 

She swiftly walked away from her gossiping friends and continued to search for Nick. 

Judy moved around the school building, past the football field, empty classrooms, and even the bathroom underneath the staircases. But she couldn’t find him. Judy thought about checking the gym one last time before heading to class, usually, Nick spent some time there with Judy if they needed time alone during lunch. 

Surely enough he was there, Judy saw his figure around the corner near the room, right by the staircases and Ms. Hathorne. She ran towards him, preparing her speech in her mind, thinking about everything she was about to say. 

So far her best bet was, “Hey Nick you know how much we love each other and you're the most amazing boyfriend ever? Well, guess what? You're going to be an even better father!” 

Hopefully, Judy could think of something better on the spot. As she drew nearer towards the gym she noticed that Nick wasn’t alone in the doorway. Another vixen was there with him, a girl she didn’t recognize. 

Judy gasped and ducked behind a spot between the rows of lockers lining the walls. She perked up her ears, trying to listen in on what they were saying. The voices came through loud and clear enough for Judy to comprehend exactly what was going on. 

“I don’t have to talk to you Simone, you should understand that. So just leave me alone!” Nick hissed. 

“Nicholas you can’t expect me to not try and reach out. You abandoned me, I had to spend the last two years looking for you! And now I find out you're here! In Bunnyburrow of all places…” She exclaimed. 

Abandoned? Had something happened between Nick and this Simone or whoever she was? Judy could feel the fearfulness in her paws and she tried desperately to stop them from shaking. They only added on to the queasy feeling in her body. She continued on, hoping someone might say something that could help clear all of this up. 

“I abandoned you because you cheated on me! You know very well that I want nothing to do with you.” He detested. Judy gasped slightly but quickly covered her mouth. Simone and Nick had dated? Why did he never mention this in the last two years? Unless...he didn’t want her to know. Nick had to have a reason why too. Right?

Judy remained in her spot, sure it was bad to be eavesdropping on a conversation between her boyfriend and some vixen but she had to! For the truth. 

“We promised ourselves to each other. You said that you wanted to be my mate! Didn’t any of that mean something to you?” Simone cried. There were a few seconds of silence and Judy assumed Nick was thinking of what to say next. Or he already had known but decided to glare at this she-devil in the process. Judy preferred the second option. 

“It stopped meaning something to me once you broke that promise…” He muttered quietly, but Judy had been so close to them she was still able to hear it. 

Suddenly, she heard footsteps coming her way and she instantly assumed Nick had begun storming off. Judy had to think fast! She couldn't squish herself against the lockers, he would be able to notice her right from his field of vision. If Judy couldn’t hide anywhere near the ground she had to hide somewhere near the top. 

She braced herself, stretching out as far as she could reach between the two rows of lockers. And then promptly began scurrying herself up towards the ceiling. If Judy hurried fast enough she could flatten herself on the tops of the lockers, which were conveniently tall enough and hopefully out of Nick's sight.

Finally, she heaved herself over the metallic edges and lay still, while still trying to catch her breath. Judy peered down below the lockers just in time to see Nick turning around the corner towards the classrooms. She saw the angered look on his face and cowered slightly. Judy had never seen Nick look so outraged before. Even when facing some of the idiotic bucks sent her way he’d give a hateful glare but nothing much after. 

Unfortunately, Judy had not been fast enough to hide back on the tips of the locker in time for Nick to send his stare right at her. His eyes bulged in surprise and he stood for a mere second staring at her in confusion. He mouthed a quick, “What are you doing? Before progressing his escape from the persistent Simone and her pleading yells. 

He walked off, out of Judy’s sight and she felt guilt overcome her. Maybe listening to their conversation was something she’d have found out later through him. If he ever told the truth when they talked later about it. 

She waited silently as Simone huffed out a breath in defeat then proceeded to walk in the other direction of Nick, most likely towards her classroom. 

Judy assumed the coast was clear so she gracefully jumped off of the tight space between the ceiling and the lockers, landing swiftly on the tiled floor. It was around the time to head to her class, otherwise, she’d be late.

Judy headed past the same corner Nick walked by mere seconds ago and jumped back frighteningly when seeing Nick himself standing behind it, probably waiting for her.

His expression was filled with annoyance and Judy felt herself becoming smaller and smaller underneath his stare. Finally, he said something.

“What were you doing up there Carrots?” Nick questioned sternly. She let out a sigh of relief, he was calling Judy by her nickname. He wasn’t as upset as she thought. But still, that didn't change the fact Judy deliberately went behind his back and listened in on something she obviously should not have. 

Nick glanced down both hallways uncomfortably. “Did you hear everything?” He asked. Judy nodded her head regretfully and Nick sighed. 

“I’m sorry…” She mumbled ashamed. He sighed again, this time a longer one, one that reminded her of her father when he was about to punish one of her sisters. Judy feared the worst, awaiting whatever he had in store for her. Yelling, disappointment, or the dreaded break up. 

Surely Nick wouldn’t break up with her over something like invading his privacy, surely…

“No...I’m sorry I’m sure you heard about Simone through Sharla probably, and when you saw us together…” He trailed off.

“I got suspicious…” Judy said, adding on to his statement. Nick looked at her solemnly, then grabbed her promptly with both of his arms, pulling her into a hug. She was surprised by the sudden display of affection, someone could walk by any second and see both of them. But right now, that was the least of her worries. 

She embraced the hug, wrapping her hands around the fur of his neck, playing with it slightly. 

“Was she a bad girlfriend?” Judy murmured into his fur. He laughed darkly, voice lined in a comedic manner. 

“The worst.” 

She giggled at his statement.

“Am I better?” Judy asked. Nick rolled his eyes but reluctantly continued praising the doe.

“Oh by a lot Carrots. By a very lot.” The two laughed, staying in their position for a few more seconds before Judy remembered why she had been looking for him minutes ago. 

She pulled away from him, staring right into those tempting eyes, but quickly composed herself in an attempt to regain her train of thought. 

“Nick?” Judy began.

“Yeah? Is something wrong? Is it your parents?” He asked fearfully.

“No, no...It's just that...do you love me?” She spat out. 

“What? Is this about Simone because I'm telling you that nothing will ever happen between me and her.” Nick assured her. 

“I believe you but…” Judy stopped, thinking hard about what she was about to say next. She could either lead with her already prepared speech, but that was a hard no. Or she could wait a little, maybe find out if Nick would really continue to be her boyfriend if having kits were ever even mentioned. 

“Would you ever consider _wanting_ to start something with me? Like an actual family?” She said hesitantly. He looked at her seriously this time, as if about to say something important.

“Judy...are you kidding? Of course, I would like to start something with you!” He exclaimed. 

“I know I haven’t really talked to you about it, but I really love you Carrots, and I think that maybe someday I’d see us having a family together,” Nick said as he smiled lovingly at her. 

Judy felt the warmness in her heart overcome her. That answer was probably the best thing Nick ever could have said in their situation. She mimicked the smile and opened her mouth to tell him the truth, the truth that would change everything when she instantly felt nausea pass through her. 

Judy rushed towards a nearby trashcan within the hallway and vomited almost immediately. 

Nick showed up by her side in a hurry.

“Oh my god, are you ok?” He asked frantically. 

“Y-Yeah...I think I h-have a stomach bug or s-something,” Judy struggled, still gagging over the trash can. 

“Maybe we should go to the nurse,” Nick said concerned while putting a hand to her forehead protectively. “You might have the flu…” She smiled half-heartedly at him but slowly latched on to his side in agreement.

“Yeah...ok.” 

* * *

That day Judy headed home early under the diagnosis of “stomach flu” and got a pass from the nurse. Truly, it was a blessing in disguise because this way she didn’t have to deal with the floating rumors of Simone and Nick surrounding her all day or have to face Xena or Dawn. 

The thought eased Judy, being forced to go home was a good thing really, now she could focus on how exactly she was going to tell Nick. Or possibly advance through her homework for the semester. Again, the second option sounded like a better idea. 

Thankfully, Judy’s parents weren't home for the rest of the day since her mother was preoccupied with her younger siblings' school meetings and her father was at some annual farmer's coup or something. 

She revealed in the emptiness of the household. It was only on a very rare occasion when Judy had ever gotten the entire house to herself. All the previous ones she’d spent with her siblings rather than her lonesome. 

Judy comfortably changed into a loose bright blue sweater with some stretchy yoga pants underneath. She settled on the couch in the living room, deciding to start her small break from her family by continuing through her book. Judy hadn’t really gotten a chance to finish it since her siblings ever so rudely invaded her bedroom a few nights ago. 

The morning hours passed and she enjoyed being able to eat the spicy savory snacks she wanted to without having someone look at her like she was crazy. But, what was Judy going to do, a confusing pregnancy led to confusing cravings. Like one of those unique periods where instead of chocolate you wanted hot sauce. 

It was around the start of her school lunchtime when Judy heard the doorbell ring from the kitchen. Confused, she put down her bag of salt and onion chips she happened to be eating and went to answer the door. 

Judy opened the door, expecting to see her parents, some random salesmen, or anyone of her older siblings but instead she found a very embarrassed fox holding a container of soup. 

Her eyes widened in suspicion, but she quickly realized as to why he might be here. Nick thought she was sick and she was covered in chip crumbs while wearing a normal everyday outfit. Everything that screamed she was not a sick person! 

Judy hurriedly mustered up the small percent of acting skills she owned and faked a cough right then and there. Hopefully, he would be deceived by her amateur theater skills.

“H-Hi Nick…” Judy said with a sickly impression.

“Hey, Fluff...feeling any better?” He asked distressingly. 

“S-Sort of...I’ll probably be back tomorrow so don’t worry.” She said reassuringly. Nick sighed in relief, then quickly remembered the canister he was holding in his paws. 

“O-Oh I brought you some tomato soup! If that helps…” He said shyly.

“I can see that,” Judy giggled. 

“S-Should I bring it in or…” He said, glancing behind her uncertainly. 

“No, you can come on in...I'm home alone anyway so it's not a problem.” She said, opening the door for him and walking back towards the kitchen. Nick followed in close pursuit. 

“O-Oh ok…” He said, trailing off. This had been the first time Judy had let Nick inside her house, and will probably be the last time since her father's biased opinion towards him. She hastily cleaned up the tossed bag of chips she left on the counter and turned to face Nick as he entered the kitchen. He had to duck slightly since the door was meant for mammals smaller than him in size but other than that the room was spacious enough for him not to feel cramped. Nick placed the container of warm soup right next to Judy and leaned against the wall comfortably. 

Judy grabbed a spoon from one of the drawers and then swung herself onto the counter in order to look at him face to face more easily. She began to eat hungrily at the soup, it was delicious, not something the school had made that's for sure. So it was obvious Nick went home and cooked it for her. Judy smiled slightly at the bowl but looked up at him once he began talking.

“Was it food poisoning?” Nick asked, breaking the silence. 

“What?” Judy said confused before rapidly remembering why she was home in the first place. “Oh! Yeah...I think I ate a rotten piece of lettuce or something…” She shrugged. He hummed in response before speaking again. 

“Sharla was worried for you,” He laughed. “Asked hundreds of questions at lunch. There were some classmates trying to spread some rumors but she quickly shut them down.” Judy dropped the spoon in her bowl.

“Wait what rumors,” She questioned. 

“Oh they tried to suggest that you were pregnant because of the vomiting in the morning but don't worry, Sharla yelled at all of them,” Nick chuckled. Judy smiled bittersweetly, Because unfortunately in her case, the rumors were true. 

She set down her amazing bowl of soup next to her on the counter and tiredly got down from the counter to lead Nick into the living room. 

“Wait what's going on?” He asked, confused. Judy sat both of them down on the small couch and faced him with a sincere look. 

“Nick...I have to talk to you about something.” She said.

“Is it about what we talked about this morning? I still stand with that really.” He exclaimed, intertwining her paws with his. She giggled at the gesture, pleased that Nick was true to his word but moved her paws away from him. 

“No...well, yes, sort of,” Judy said confusingly. She grabbed a paper from the small wooden table in front of them. It was a paper she grabbed during her sweet time alone and suddenly realized that if she was ever going to tell Nick about the pregnancy she’d need cold hard proof it existed. 

When she left school mere hours ago Judy decided to take a small detour at the doctor's clinic and asked the secretary working there for her chart that Dawn, unfortunately, managed to get her grubby hooves on. 

It was the paper declaring her positive blood tests, proving her pregnancy. 

Judy glanced hastily at Nick and he stared confusingly at the paper in her hand. She began to read it, unsure of what was about to happen next.

“Judith Laverne Hopps, age 16, species grey rabbit…” 

“Judy, what's going on?” Nick said, worry lining his voice as he glanced back and forth between her and the paper. She ignored him and continued on, Judy had to tell him, now or never. 

“Reason of visit, blood test…”

“Blood test! Judy, are you actually sick with something? Is everything alright?” He exclaimed, grabbing onto her shoulders. But she continued on with reading out every single line of the letter. Until finally, at the end of the document, she looked Nick in the eye and let the words slip from her tongue.

“Blood test, positive. Diagnosis, pregnant…” Judy looked heastintly at Nick, prepared to see the worst, prepared to hear the worst.

“What…” He whispered.

“I’m pregnant Nick...I’m really pregnant.” She said hoping to see a reaction come from the fox. He stared at her wordlessly and Judy couldn’t pinpoint his expression. Confusion, surprise, fear? But his eyes weren’t filled with anger so surely that meant something good. Right?

Before Nick had the chance to say anything in response their ears twitched towards the clicking noise coming from the front door. The sound of a key clicking came from outside, followed by the door creaking open.

Her parents were home. 

Judy couldn't react fast enough but the last thing she remembered was Nick grabbing her by the paw and rushing the both of them downstairs. She recognized her parents' voice from upstairs and fear led her towards her bedroom, where she quickly threw her and Nick inside and then locked the door. 

They both huffed out of breath and Judy lied against her bed stand tiredly. Nick continued to stand, running a paw through his fur crazily. When he turned to face her Judy initially assumed his face was going to be filled with anger, hatred, any form of disappointment. Anything that might end up with the two breaking up and Nick leaving her.

But when he turned around and looked Judy in the eyes she saw as clear as day that they weren’t filled with hatred, they were brimmed with glossy tears. A goofy smiled sprawled across his lips and he let out a breath of laughter. 

“You're pregnant!”

And everything after that...was history. 

**To be Continued… >:)**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MU HAHA...Chapter 5 at long last.
> 
> And guess what? I left a cliffhanger! So suck on that >:)
> 
> Anyway, let's hope you guys like this one because Nick finally finds out about the pregnancy. But how will react? And there's another potential love interest! Nicks ex-girlfriend Simone! >:)
> 
> You'll all find out more in the next 4 days or so. 
> 
> So sad, don't care >:3
> 
> I really think this is a strong chapter and I worked harder on this rather than the others. But still, there's always room for improvement, I mean I ain't some Pablo Picasso when it comes to fanfics so keep it up with the suggestions!
> 
> Till next time my pretties! 
> 
> And happy almost Halloween! If you want to, write down your costume ideas in the comments!


	6. Chapter 6 : Surprises Come in Threes

**Chapter 6: Surprises Come in Threes**

* * *

Nick breathed heavily as he stared at Judy and she repeated the words that he said over and over again in her mind.

“You're pregnant!” She wasn’t sure if she should have said something but the next thing Judy knew was Nick wrapping his arms around her in the way only a loving husband ever could. Her hands hesitated, still taking the time to compose herself and grasp the situation. 

Nick hadn’t been upset, he was far from it. Crying, Judy hugged him as tight as she could and the couple sat there laughing out of joy. For once in this week she felt like everything was going to be ok. 

Until she heard her mother's voice call from upstairs.

“Judy? Sweetheart is that you? We just found the call from the school…” Bonnie shouted. 

The two quickly fumbled off of the bed in shock and Judy looked fearfully at Nick, he mirrored the action. They nodded together in agreement simultaneously, having dealt with this situation before. 

Nick helped Judy get off the ground protectively and then smirked.

“I’ll have to be more careful around you now Carrots.” He winked. Judy stuck out her tongue at him playfully and then proceeded to lead Nick across her narrow bedroom into the closet she's hidden him in for various times. 

Before Nick disappeared behind her closet door he turned around and looked her in the eye seriously. 

“You might want to consider investing in a bigger room if you don’t want me suffocating in this,” He said pointing behind him. 

“Oh, how could I ever live with myself if I’d known that you’d have died because of my perfectly normal-sized living arrangements!” Judy exclaimed dramatically, throwing a hand against her head. She chuckled alongside Nick as he placed a caring kiss on her cheek and promptly went inside her closet, perfectly out of sight. 

Judy could hear the rapid footsteps of her parents rushing down the stairs towards her bedroom so she hastily jumped onto her bed and swept underneath the covers. She mustered up her best, “tired sick face,” she could imagine and laid still, trying to calm the rapid beating of her heart. 

Her door opened to reveal her concerned mother right behind it. 

“Goodness Judy it's even worse than I thought you look as pale as a ghost!” Bonnie cried, rushing over to her and placing a paw all over her face in search of a temperature. She cringed beneath her mother's touch, hoping that her facade would be believable enough to slip by her parent's overprotectiveness. 

“That's it. I’m staying home today.” Her mother sighed exasperatedly. Judy widened her eyes slightly, if her mom stayed home there was no chance she could get Nick out of here fast enough. She could practically feel his fur standing on edge from where she was. 

“Y-You don’t have to do that mom…” She stuttered. “I already took care of myself for the first half of the day plus you have those school meetings!” Judy pleaded. Bonnie looked at her skeptically but eventually gave in and sighed. 

“Fine...but remember to drink a lot of water!” She demanded. 

“Stomach bugs are no joke darling!” Her father yelled from the hallway. Judy giggled at her dad, whenever one of the litter got sick he’d cower away in fear of becoming sick as well and potentially missing work. 

Judy nodded firmly, hoping they would take the hint and leave already. Thankfully, after her mother gave one last kiss on the forehead as they both said goodbye and she lay still until finally hearing the slam of the front door upstairs. 

Mere seconds after that Nick emerged from her closet, theatrically gasping for breath.

“I don’t think I could have lasted for a minute longer in their Carrots.” 

Judy rolled her eyes at the fox and eagerly got out of the warm sheets she was entrapped in. She adjusted herself on the bed and moved slightly once Nick walked over and sat down beside her, playing slightly with her ears.

He’d always done it before, in the past whenever he was excited or happy. She giggled happily and embraced the peacefulness of the moment. 

Until yet again it had to be interrupted by unspeakable forces. 

Judy’s phone blared loudly and she begrudgingly walked over to pick it up from the nightstand. On the screen she could see that the caller id had been Karla so she instantly opened the call, placing it on speakerphone in order for Nick to hear as well. Because after all, they were in this together now weren’t they?

“Hey, Judy I’m just calling to let you know that I was out busy this morning so I couldn't meet with you at the clinic today.” Karla blurted cheerfully.

“Oh no that's fine. But, um, I actually wanted to let you know that I’m ready to set a schedule for my first ultrasound!” Judy shrugged and looked hopefully towards Nick. The tod moved from his laid back position to an awake and attentive one. His tail started wagging excitingly and he urged Judy to go on. She stifled back a laugh but continued. 

“And I won’t be alone. So do you know when you're available?” She asked. Judy could hear some quiet squealing from the other line then a lot of shuffling until Karla finally responded. 

“Well, that's great Judy! My schedule is completely clear on the 18th next week, so I can see you both in the private suite early that morning!” Karla exclaimed. 

“Perfect! So we can see you then?” Judy smiled sitting down next to Nick as he put an arm around her shoulder caringly. 

“Yep! See you both then.” Karla said before ending the call and leaving Judy and Nick back to themselves. 

“Wow, so we're really doing this?” Nick sighed breaking the silence. She melted into his embrace and moved her hands absentmindedly through his tail, enjoying the softness of it. Before he could retaliate Judy put a paw in protest.

“Pregnant card, I can do what I want.” She said in a sing-songy voice. He sighed in defeat but proceeded to allow the doe to play with his tail. Nick laid his head lazily over her shoulder, placing his arms protectively around her waist, but still putting space between his paws and her stomach.   
Judy noticed this and frowned, looking up towards him. 

“Nick you don’t have to be afraid to touch me. I’m not  _ that _ fragile” 

He stared skeptically at her but reluctantly listened to Judy’s logic.

“I know...but you can’t blame me for not wanting to be careful,” Nick argued. “It is  _ our  _ kit in there.” 

“Or kits, plural…” Judy added. 

“Oh my god your right! Do you really think we’d have more than one?” He asked fearfully. 

“I don’t know! This has to be the first time a fox’s impregnated a bunny!” She retaliated. 

“Well aren’t they random?” Nick asked.

“Occasionally, but the average is around five,” Judy said. He ran a hand through his fur looking at her.

“Wow…five kits. Do you really think we're ready for that?” Nick asked pensively. 

“I wasn’t even ready to fall in love with a fox! Yet here we are two years later.” Judy laughed, throwing her arms in the air dramatically. She felt his arms wrap around her stomach at last and he whispered quietly into her ears.

“Were ready for this...I know we are.” Nick muttered. 

Judy melted into his embrace and laid still, smiling.

“Yeah...we can do this.”

* * *

The next week on Tuesday night, mere hours before Judy’s ultrasound she had gotten the chance to enjoy the last few days with her overprotective boyfriend. Nick spent all the time that he could by Judy’s side, especially once she returned to school after her fake “stomach bug.” They both had to remind themselves to remain inconspicuous because if people started to actually pay attention to the two they’d most likely become suspicious. 

Judy loved how much Nick wanted to involve himself, specifically since the big reveal and how he hadn’t left her like one of those terrible boyfriends in a dramatic romance movie. He had been extremely careful around Judy, hovering near her in gym, theater, even when she had after school meetings for her presidential campaign he would wait outside to make sure she got home safely. In honesty, she loved it. 

Unfortunately, having to return back to school also meant having to return back to Dawn. And her continued diabolical plan to make Judy’s life a living hell. She had to work hard to convince Dawn that she was “sabotaging” her campaign but it felt almost impossible with how manically intelligent the ewe was. After all, Dawn did know everyone's medical records.

Not only that, but Judy also had the pleasure of meeting the infamous Simone face to face during the last week. And let me tell you, she was every bit of a terrible person as Nick said she was. In a few short days that vixen had managed to turn the heads of most males at her school! Some of whom were already in a relationship! At first, Judy assumed Simone to end up just like Xena, toxic, and spiteful. But she actually turned out to become even more powerful than Xena...maybe even possibly closing up on Judy herself. 

The only reason she had ended up loathing Simone, besides the fact that she broke Nick's heart, was that the vixen wouldn’t stop trying to one-up her in everything. Head to head in math, forensics, gym. And the only reason Judy hadn’t been able to keep up with her in the last “battle” was that she was beginning to take it easier since finding out about her pregnancy. But it wasn’t like she could explain that to her boyfriend's ex. 

It was almost as if Simone had known about their secret. Like she was using some weird sixth sense. Maybe almost mating yourself to Nick gave the benefit of reading him easily. Unfortunately, that only made Judy’s situation even worse. She had just told Nick, she didn’t want his exes to know about it too. 

Right now the only mammals she and Nick had to be telling the news to were their parents. Together, Judy and Nick agreed the best time to let them know was at least until after her first trimester ended. Because of that way Judy and him could feel more at ease since the chance of miscarriages drops. And by then they would soon be finding out the gender of the kit. So yeah, in Judy’s mind it sounded like a good idea. She just hoped that when the time came it would turn out to be so. 

Now, on a radiant August morning, on the fourth day of the week, Judy and Nick waited uncomfortably in the waiting room of the third floor of Bunnyburrow’s resident hospital. Nick held her hand tightly as the minutes passed by, his leg shaking out of control. In an attempt to comfort him she placed a paw on his back.

“Nick it's going to be alright. This is only an ultrasound.” Judy said soothingly. His leg stopped shaking and looked Judy in the eye with a bittersweet smile.

“I know…” He sighed. “But...we don’t even know what to expect! I don’t know what to expect…” She nodded slightly, but then fell into a tense silence alongside him. 

Thankfully the nurses there didn’t pass them a second glance so Judy didn’t have to worry about any potential rumors about them spreading anytime soon. Better than that, but Dawn also coincidentally hadn’t been at the clinic that morning either since it was a school day for all of them. This helped eased Judy’s mind, but she wasn’t so sure about Nick. 

She had yet to tell him about Dawn's threats, or even the fact that she knew. But the fact that Judy wouldn’t have to worry about looking up and seeing that conniving sheep walk down the exact same hallway they were in made her feel slightly better about the situation.

After 10 more minutes of complete stress, Judy and Nick finally saw Karla show up from around the corner and smile upon seeing them.

“Judy! Nick! Great, you're both here! Come, follow me.” Karla exclaimed. The couple promptly followed the lynx, both continuing to hold each other as if their lives depended on it. 

Who knew pregnancies at 16 years old would be so stressful. 

* * *

“Ok so this is just a routine procedure and you're only at 3 weeks right now so we shouldn’t see anything too worrisome. Now, this might feel a little cold at first but don’t worry.” Karla reminded before starting the ultrasound. 

Judy and Nick shared a glance but she quickly nodded her head in affirmation, urging Karla to start. As she applied the substance to her stomach Judy shivered a little but the feeling soon passed and was replaced with anticipation. Both she and Nick just wanted to know what was going to happen to their kit, or possibly kits… 

As Karla turned on the monitor and waited, Judy fretted over her ears while she looked all over the room in hopes of occupying her racing thoughts. Thankfully, the uncomfortable silence was broken by Nick once he asked Karla a question. 

“So...how many kits do you think it's possible for us to have?” He said rubbing his neck awkwardly. 

“Well, there's no way to know for sure…” Karla responded, trailing off. “This is the first time I’ve ever looked over a prey and predator kit. Plus there's always the chance of having a litter as opposed to just one of them.”

“Do you think there's a possibility for miscarriages?” Judy said fearfully. 

“Oh, Judy no! Bunnies are naturally fertile and you're both very healthy so I don’t see any reason to worry unless it's needed.” Karla said, reassuring her.

She nodded in response but still felt somewhat uneasy. Nick slipped his paw into hers comfortingly and she smiled at him knowing everything was going to be alright.

After a few more seconds of waiting the montier started to show some response. Causing Nick to hover between Karla and Judy nervously. She watched between Karla and the monitor, trying to see if any change in her expression might mean something. 

“That’s strange…” Karla whispered.

“What! Is something wrong?” Judy questioned. 

“No...this is just rare…” She said, turning her attention back at the screen.

“What is rare?” Nick asked nervously.

“Well it’s uncommon to see a heartbeat so early on in the pregnancy,” Karla said, moving the monitor so they could both see what exactly she was talking about. 

They both gasped, Nick tightened his grip on her paws and she could feel tears brimming her eyes. Right in front of Judy, the monitor showed a minuscule blob with the smallest heartbeat she’s ever seen. 

“Is that them?” She cried. 

“Yep!” Karla smiled. Both her and Nick grinned madly and Judy couldn’t help but let some tears slip down her cheeks. 

“That's our kit!” Nick exclaimed, moving over to Judy’s side and enveloping her in a loving hug. 

“Wait! So does that mean we're only having one?” Judy asked, noticing the occurrence on the screen. 

“I think so...let me just check to make sure,” Karla said moving the scanner around her stomach once more. 

The monitor beeped and moved and she could hear the tiny voice in her head just screaming at her that it might not be possible. Such a rare pregnancy could have consequences, like being only to have one kit. The thought made Judy’s new pregnant glow dim a little and she promptly focused back on Nick in hopes of cheering herself up. Suddenly, Karla spoke, breaking her trance.

“Oh! Well, look who's hiding over here!” She blurted. Nick and Judy looked at each other than at the screen. And right where Karla was pointing, was another small blob similar to one before, maybe even smaller. Both of them had tiny beating hearts, barely visible on the monitor. 

“Oh my god…” Judy muttered. 

“Two of them! We're having two kits!” Nick yelled, adding on. 

“No, you're not.” Karla beamed. “Because look who's hiding over here.” She pointed to the screen yet again. 

“What!” They both shrieked simultaneously. 

“Three?” Judy asked, surprised. 

“Actually four,” Karla said pointing again to another suspicious splotch on the screen. Judy latched herself onto Nick’s arm in a slight flurry. Four kits! Were they popping up out of nowhere or what? 

“Oh! Nevermind, sorry that was just some smear of blueberry from the muffin I had yesterday.” Karla laughed. They both heaved a sigh of relief, from the way their luck was going the couple could have ended up with a full litter. 

“So...three?” Judy asked hesitantly. 

“Yep! From what I can see you're going to have three healthy kits!” Karla grinned as she began cleaning the slime off of her stomach. 

“Really! This isn’t a mistake?” Nick asked hopefully, still right next to Judy. 

“Well in my professional opinion I’m not 100% sure,” Karla responded sadly.

“Wait what do you mean? Could something happen to them during the pregnancy?” Judy asked in fear. 

“Again I’m not entirely sure,” Karla exclaimed, putting her paws in the air. “This isn’t exactly my area of expertise. I only work in the predator department for the clinic.” 

“So how do we know if everything turns out alright?” Nick questioned seriously. 

“If you want I can direct the two of you to a friend of mine in Zootopia. They’re very experienced with prey and predator kits, so I think they’d be of much more help.” She guaranteed, extending out a business car towards him and Judy. 

The card was a bright yellow and in bold white letters it read,

**Dr. Virginia Firefox ~ Mercy Sahara Hospital**

“Is she good?” Nick said, eyeing Karla suspiciously.

“Don’t fret lover boy.” She smirked, laughing. “I’ve known Judy since she was a kid. You really think I’d let her future children into the arms of a complete stranger?” He shook his head, embarrassed and Judy stifled back a giggle. They were right to trust Karla. 

“But she’s in Zootopia so I’d suggest you both make plans to take a train over there soon.” She reminded them.

“Well, I’ve been meaning to check in on my family.” Nick shrugged. “I haven’t called in a few months so they must be worried.” 

“How could we leave with school still going on?” Judy retaliated. “You know I take that seriously.” 

“I know, I know.” He reassured her. “But we have that three-day weekend coming up soon and maybe we could use it as an opportunity?” Nick suggested. 

“Sounds like a good idea to me,” Karla said butting in. Judy huffed and glared her eyes at both of them like those of an angry toddler. 

“Ok Slick, how do you expect me to somehow get away with a three-day trip to Zootopia without telling my parents?” She challenged him. 

He smiled slyly, clearly already prepared with a plan.

“Two words Fluff. College interviews.” 

* * *

In the next two weeks or so, as Judy and Nick worked hard to prepare their small three-day trip to Zootopia she could feel herself getting even more stressed over the fact that they might be having three kits. The two had to return to school after the checkup that morning, and it only left them with more questions than answers. Nick managed to stay calm, which helped Judy’s racing mind at least. But the idea of having to raise three children as opposed to just one sounded much more challenging. Mainly when they were both basically below the age of a responsible adult. 

The day before their trip Nick and Judy managed to snag a last-minute appointment with Dr. Firefox during their Sunday in the city. So it at least meant this Virginia was successful enough to be fully booked. Judy was still unsure about meeting her, especially with her impression that things in Zootopia weren’t all that peachy. 

Before they could even leave for the weekend Judy still had the problem of lying to her parents yet again. She managed to get away with it only because she told her family that the college she was “interviewing” for was based around farm management. Somehow, it also made her father forget about the fact that Judy was dating a fox for a few minutes because once she told them this he screamed enthusiastically. The euphoria lasted for only a little bit. 

Now, on the day of their trip, having already said farewell to her mother and father, Judy arrived at the train station hours before Nick. Feeling the excitement of the journey before it even began. 

“Carrots what are you doing here so early, our train doesn't leave for another 25 minutes?” Nick asked once he arrived at a reasonable time after her. 

“I know...I was just too nervous to wait any longer.” She exclaimed bashfully. 

“Well, you don’t have to be nervous because my parents will love you.” He declared, grabbing her luggage and playing the part of the “dutiful boyfriend.” 

“You can’t be sure about that!” Judy yelled. “They could end up just like mine and blatantly judge me for the rest of my life!”

“They’re not going to judge you Carrots,” Nick said assuringly. 

“Really?” She exclaimed sarcastically. “They're just  _ not _ going to judge the girl who got knocked up by their own son and is carrying their grandchildren?” 

“My folks can be very understanding.” He retaliated. 

“And your siblings? I’ve barely spoken to mine since everything. If they found out I’m pregnant they would definitely try to forget about my existence.” Judy huffed. 

Sighing, Nick moved closer to the doe and carefully embraced her with a hug. 

“My siblings…” He began. “Will love you no matter what. Because we know when to mate for life and if I tell them I’ve met that mammal they’ll believe me.” 

Judy plopped her head against his chest comfortingly. Feeling more at ease.

“Ok...I trust you.” She murmured into his shirt. After a few more minutes with Nick trying to calm Judy down, they finally heard the announcer blare into the station's microphones. 

“Attention...Train C departing to Zootopia in 5 minutes…Attention...Train C departing to Zootopia in 5 minutes.” 

“We should start heading over there…” Judy mumbled, looking up to him. 

“Nah...we can afford a few more minutes like this.” He said still holding onto her. 

Judy giggled slightly but nodded. “Yeah...I guess we can.”

* * *

After the short 1-hour ride from the cozy ruralness of Bunnyburrow to the bustling city of Zootopia Nick and Judy finally exited the train station. She hovered right outside Savanna Central and watched animals of all shapes and sizes run past her. Predators and Prey coexisting together right in front of her eyes.

“Impressive right?” Nick said, coming from behind Judy with their luggage.

“Yeah…” Judy whispered in awe. “It really is…” 

“Come on,” He urged. “It gets better.” Nick led her out of the bustling plaza and into the crazy streets surrounding them. 

In all directions, Judy could see shops, restaurants, buildings, everything caught her eye! She had also seen some larger mammals that she’d only see in books or on T.V. 

Just then she felt Nick jerk her to the alleyway in between two buildings so quickly she almost tripped. Angered she looked up at him

“What was that for?” Judy demanded. 

“Sorry Fluff but if you kept enjoying the sights you probably might have gotten run over by those cops,” Nick exclaimed, checking her for any bruises then glaring in the direction behind them. Judy turned around, looking at the same place as him, and saw a fast-paced chase of two officers, a rhino and a tiger, running after their perp. Who appeared to be a young weasel carrying an armload of stolen purses. Strange, he looked to be their age. 

Judy looked at them in astonishment. Actual police officers right in front of her! Working their hardest to make the city better. She could imagine herself right alongside them, doing what they could, helping the residents of this amazing place. 

Before Judy could stare at them any longer the cops continued their chase after the weasel, whoever his name was, and turned a corner down the street out of sight. Her ears drooped slightly, she would’ve at least liked to see them catch that weasel in the act. 

Nick took one last glance in both streets and decided it was safe for them to get out of the ally they were in. 

“Ok...we should probably start heading over to my family’s apartment.” He sighed. 

“I never asked you, where did you exactly grow up?” Judy said interested. 

“Well, it wasn’t a burrow filled with 275 bunny siblings that's for sure.” Nick laughed.

“Har har. But I’m serious! It's not like I haven’t wondered where my handsome boyfriend lived almost all of his life.” She exclaimed. 

As Judy said that a couple of passersby next to them on the sidewalk gave the two questionable glances and she suddenly felt a fire burn through her stomach. The night Jack had visited her replayed in her head quickly. But Judy promptly ignored the feeling and followed Nick as he led them through some more shortcuts. 

She looked around at the overbearing buildings, completely different from the ones Judy has grown up around in the Burrows. They had to be 20 times larger than her, maybe even 50! Windows lined them all, even some metal railings here and there sticking out of the cramped apartment buildings.

Judy always wondered what it would be like to live in a rusty old apartment having the sights of the city right outside where she slept. Who knows, maybe in the future she and Nick could move here after college and share an apartment together? Judy hoped they’d at least get some nice neighbors as well.

After a few more minutes of elaborate turns and various shortcuts, Judy and Nick found themselves right in front of the entrance to Sahara Square. 

“Wait, you live  _ here _ ?” She exclaimed, surprised. “Aren’t most animals in this place from the desert district?”

“Yes, most are…” Nick answered trailing off. “But almost one-third of them are grassland based animals like myself included.” 

“Huh, I didn’t know that.” Judy acknowledged. 

“Really!” He proclaimed bewildered. “The great Judy Hopps didn’t know something? No…” She rolled her eyes at the fox as he laughed jovially but took her paw in his and continued to move them through the district. 

As they passed through the gates Judy could feel the drastic change in temperature. She had felt the overbearing heat of summers before but this was entirely different. 

Scattered around them were multiple houses covered with roofs of different sizes. Round, flat, paved. They had it all! 

Walking past her and Nick were also some Saharan based mammals as well! Camels, Antelope, even more foxes as well. And far off in the distance, Judy could see a large palm tree...wait what?

She tried looking ahead again, confused that her eyes might be playing tricks on her but no! Far far away from them stood the biggest palm tree she’s ever seen in her life. But it didn’t even look like a palm tree. Judy squinted and cocked her head slightly but surely enough it wasn’t even a tree! It seemed to be a ginormous hotel covered in intricate golden ledges with windows surrounding it from top to bottom. Outside this fake palm tree hotel, or whatever it was, sat a big neon sign saying “The Palm.” Judy assumed that had to be the name of this strange building.

Who would ever want to live inside a tree? She wondered. 

Before Judy could gawk any longer at the peculiar place Nick remained persistent and dragged her on. Finally, the couple reached a tall apartment building of sorts in the middle of even more apartment buildings. There were also the occasional sketchy alleyways on the side but Judy assumed that maybe every city had one of those. They were a natural occurrence in movies after all. 

He led them inside where she was soon met with cool air conditioning and left the heat outside. A female lynx, that reminded Judy of Karla, sat a few feet away from her at the receptionist's desk. She seemed to be absentmindedly swiping through her phone, not paying attention to what was happening in front of her since not really giving any reaction to Nick and Judy walking in. 

He promptly led her to the long staircases behind the desk, moving past the lynx inconspicuously. It was a long flight upwards but after a few minutes, he and Judy stopped in front of a door marked with the numbers 536. Nick moved to ring the doorbell next to the door and Judy moved behind him almost instantly. 

Maybe it was the fact that she was still nervous about meeting his family for the first time or even the thought of them reacting the same as her parents left Judy terrified. 

Still, she peeked slightly from behind Nick as the seconds flew by. The sound echoed through her ears but still no response. Eventually, Judy could at last start hearing some movement from behind the door. The occasional murmur of voices and some shuffling later, the door finally swung open revealing a family of foxes right in front of her. 

Judy could count at least four unless there were still others in the apartment she just couldn't see. At the front, two foxes, one holding the handle to the door. The first one, who was a male, looked slightly older than the other but still not old enough to be Nick's parents so she assumed it was his older sibling. He shared the same color coat as Nick but had different colored eyes, blue. And instead of the blacktip at his tail that Nick had this fox had white. 

Behind him stood a female vixen much taller than Judy but exactly Nick’s height. She immediately recognized her as his sister from an old picture of the two of them that Nick showed Judy months ago. The vixen's name was Nina if she remembered right. Since the two were twins, Nick's mother wanted the same letter names. 

Speaking of his parents, two obviously older foxes poked their heads from behind the other two. Judy could see the resemblance between Nick and his father, not to mention his mother either. His eyes came from her but his coat must have come from both of them. 

After a few more minutes of no one speaking, just silence and more starring Judy stepped to the side once his mother rushed past all three foxes and wrapped her arms around Nick the way only a loving mother would.

She smiled at the scene as Nick hugged his mother back and started apologizing over his long absence of not calling or informing her about his daily whereabouts. Judy found it funny, that his parents could be so overprotective, it must have been where Nick got his overbearingness from as well. 

His sibling moved forward shortly after his mom, enveloping Nick with hugs, witty remarks, and of course the million-dollar question, who was this bunny girl behind him? 

Nick's parents finally noticed Judy and looked at her in confusion as well. Her nose twitched nervously under their stare. This has to be the only time in her life where she’s been in a place with this many foxes all looking at her. Judy urged Nick to go on, to get rid of the elephant in the room before it trampled them all to death. 

“Mom, Dad…” He started, standing next to Judy and putting an arm around her shoulder. “This...is my girlfriend, Judy.” She smiled awkwardly glancing across their shocked faces. 

Clearly, her first day in Zootopia was going to be one to remember... 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well it's finally here...chapter 6
> 
> There's drama, shock, and a surprising reveal! Who wouldn't love reading this?
> 
> Just joking. If you have read this chapter through then you should already know that we've established more of a background with Simone, had Judy's first ultrasound, and their very first overnight trip together in Zootopia!
> 
> And talk about a big surprise once we found out that Judy and Nick would be having 
> 
> Not one!
> 
> Not two!
> 
> But three kits! (I sure know how to knock your socks off don't I XD) 
> 
> Anyway, now that we've found out the total number of kits we can play the waiting game. And if any of you have seen Grey's Anatomy you'd know that if there's a possibility for a newborn baby to contract a disease before it's even born then it's going to happen.
> 
> Let's hope that won't happen to our adorable couple. BUT NO PROMISES
> 
> HAH JUST KIDDING, I'd never kill a baby.
> 
> Seriously who do you take me for, someone who has all the power? Oh wait, I do >:3
> 
> That's all folks! Good night everybody <3


	7. Chapter 7 : The Limit of A Lie

**Chapter 7: The Limit of A Lie**

Silence was terrifying. Anything could happen in those few seconds where nothing was spoken. Friends can become enemies, people could fall in love. Or in Judy’s case, families could be turned upside down over five simple words. 

“This is Judy...my girlfriend.” Nick declared after the happy reunion minutes before. At first, faces changed from relief to shock. And Judy didn’t know whether or not she should be scared or…

No, she should just be scared. 

She was meeting the parents! Usually, this should be something that the boyfriend would be worried about. Overprotective fathers, pushy siblings, suspicious mothers. Those were all the things that happened when introducing your boyfriend to your family. 

So why was Judy scared? Maybe it had to do with the fact she had been dating Nick for the last two years. Or maybe it was because she had three kits growing in her uterus. The problem was, his family didn’t know that. At least, not yet…

Judy fidgeted over the loops on her jeans, swaying uncomfortably back and forth. The lack of response unnerved her until finally, Nick’s mother spoke up. 

“Y-Your girlfriend?” His mom, who Judy just remembered was named Victoria, stuttered. 

“Yes, mom,” Nick announced yet again. “Judy is my girlfriend.” Again, no one said anything. His siblings' eyes grew in shock but their mouths lay agape. And Judy didn’t even want to know what his father was thinking. 

Then his brother started laughing, straight-up cackling. Like a mad man! Oh god, Judy made his brother crazy from shock. But then his sister started laughing as well, and then his father too! Did they all think this was some kind of sick joke? 

Judy felt her face scrunching up in anger and before she could even retaliate Nick put his arm in front of her.

“Just wait for it…” He whispered. Confused, Judy waited. And after a few more seconds of his family, all rioting around his sister theatrically wiped a “tear” from her eye. 

“You know when you actually said you met someone in that burrow town we didn't actually believe it!” She snickered. Wait...his family already knew about her? Judy looked to Nick in hopes of an answer but he rubbed his neck awkwardly. 

“I may or may not have informed them about you a few months ago…” He mumbled. 

“What!” Judy shrieked. “And you didn’t tell me?”

“I was waiting for the right time!” He exclaimed. 

“Like when she meets us for the first time?” His brother chuckled. 

“Oh Cooper stop pestering your brother,” Victoria said, swatting his shoulder. As Nick's brother rubbed the spot where his mother “attacked” him she moved closer to Judy grabbing her paws with her own.   
“Sweetheart you have no idea how happy we are for our Nicholas. With everything that happened before we were worried he might never fall in love again.” She said smiling at Judy. 

Her eyes slightly grew in surprise. They weren’t upset? No, they were happy, happy for Nick, happy for her. This was entirely different from Judy’s family reaction. 

“I-I...you're not upset?” She asked. 

“Darling, why on earth would I be upset?” Victoria exclaimed.

“Because of the fact that I’m a bunny…” Judy mumbled averting her gaze. 

“Judy. Look at me.” She demanded. “Whatever backward way of thinking your family might try to push on you is wrong. Because we have absolutely no preference for our Nick should be dating. From what he tells us, you're so much of an amazing girlfriend to him. So why would we ever resent you for that?” 

Judy felt some light tears fall down her cheeks and she embarrassingly wiped them quickly. But promptly looked back at Nick and his mother with a smile on her face.

“T-Thank you...I really needed to hear that.” She said. Victoria wrapped her in a tight hug and Judy could feel the room becoming a little brighter. 

“Oh goodness we haven’t even invited you in yet!” She asserted. “Nina! Cooper! Show them to the living room for god's sake.” Victoria yelled, shaking her head.

Judy and Nick laughed alongside each other but promptly followed his siblings into the apartment. She reveled at how neatly decorated everything was. The walls were filled with pictures of Nick and his siblings from their childhood days. And the floors were covered in plush red carpets that looked soft to the touch. 

It felt peaceful, happy. The perfect place to raise someone, Judy thought. 

They were led to a nice blue comfy couch that dipped once Judy sat on it. Nick sat right next to her, wrapping his tail around her waist. She smiled up at him and quickly accepted the cool glass of water that Nina handed to her. 

Judy drank it awkwardly as his family all stared at them with big grins and happy eyes. Almost as if they were statues on display. She fumbled with the empty glass slightly while placing it on the coffee table in front of them.

Thankfully, Nick’s father, John, started speaking and broke the silence. 

“Has he been treating you well Miss?” He inquired. 

“Oh, Nicks is a wonderful boyfriend don’t worry.” Judy proclaimed, waving her hands. 

“You better not break her heart Nick.” Nina threatened. 

“Shouldn’t you be saying that to her?” He asked dumbfoundingly. She merely glared at him in response. Miming a knife to her throat in order to scare him a bit more. Which she did. 

“Oh don’t worry about them.” Victoria shrugged as she sat down beside the two. “They’ve been teasing Nicholas in all of his relationships.”   
Judy didn’t bother asking more on the topic but the mention of him having previous girlfriends somewhat bothered her. If she was going to have three kits with him shouldn’t she at least learn more about his past life. 

From what Judy knew during their two-year relationship was that Nick was interested in making a name for himself at least. It did spark the idea of Judy bluntly asking him to join her on the force if she ever got in. But she quickly shut down the idea in fear that he might not be as invested in it as she was. 

After some more humorous conversation with the Wilde family, Judy could see a little deeper into Nick's childhood. The school he was enrolled in before, his antics with his siblings years ago, and even how he met Simone! 

Unfortunately, Nick rapidly shut down any further conversation about the topic before Judy could learn anything more. She would have to ask about it in his own time when he was really open to talking about it again. 

Somewhere in between when Judy was goofing off with Nina and partaking in some interesting small talk with John, she noticed that Cooper started to sniff the air suspiciously. However, Judy didn’t really know why, foxes had superior smell then rabbits so maybe there was just a really musty one she hadn’t detected yet.

Cooper continued to sniff the air until questioningly placing his eyes on Judy. She fiddled with the rim of the second cup of water Victoria had brought her, had she smelt that much of an average country bumpkin. But she couldn’t. Judy had taken a shower before they left. Was she just naturally smelly?

As Judy continued to bounce back and forth between impossibilities, because why in the world would a bunny smell disgusting to a fox, she didn’t notice Cooper start to cackle loudly.

Nick, annoyed, asked his brother what in the world was so funny. 

“You are _so_ going to get grounded dude!” Cooper sniggered. 

“Whatever is he talking about Nicholas?” Victoria exclaimed accusingly. 

“I-I uh…” Nick stuttered nervously, unable to keep his cool when his parents were staring him down. He looked to Judy in fear and she looked back. 

“Can’t you guys smell it?” Cooper asked, still laughing his tail off. 

“What?” Nina asked in confusion but attempted to sniff out the smell as well. Cooper chuckled for a few more seconds before finally wiping a tear from his eye.

“Our little bro got his girlfriend pregnant!” 

* * *

If the silence in the hallway was unnerving then this was hell. No one, no mammal in the entire room made a sound. Except, of course, Cooper and his continued fits of laughter. Victoria was shocked silent and Judy was pretty sure that Nick's father was shooting daggers into his skull. Nina merely stared back and forth between the couple in surprise. 

“Ooh, you are so going to get grounded…” Nina giggled teasingly. Clearly, the matter didn’t come off as serious to his siblings but obviously, Nick's parents took the information differently.

“Nicholas Piberius Wilde! Why in the world would you get this poor girl pregnant? And at 16 too!” His mother yelled. 

“Son did you or did you not learn anything about protection?” John exclaimed sternly. 

Judy sat uncomfortably between the raging war going on over her head. Nick had no choice in the matter but to sit there as well while his parents lectured him on and on about basic responsibility. Through all this Victoria made a show to apologize to Judy for her son's “idiotic” actions. In her own words of course. 

She tried to add in something, that the whole ordeal was partially her fault as well but before Judy could even move an inch, Nick stood up almost instantly grabbing her by the paw while doing so. 

“What we did was not a mistake!” He blurted accusingly. “Yes, we may be 16 but Judy and I are not just going to ignore these kits and treat them like nothing!” Judy looked at him in surprise, not because she hadn’t expected him to say all those things, they were natural when coming from Nick, but because of the fact he so bluntly revealed they were having _kits_. Not kit, singular. 

“Kits...Wait, you're having more than one?” Nina exclaimed butting into the conversation. 

“Three actually…” Judy said, adding on. 

“Three kits? Nicholas!” His mother shrieked. In the background of all this Cooper continued his comedic act of making it a big deal over how _hilarious_ the situation was. 

“Oh god...your so-” He started but was interrupted by Nick.

“Going to get grounded for the rest of my life. I know Cooper!” He yelled agitated. 

“You're going to get grounded for much longer than that young man,” John said gravely. 

“Sweetheart…” Victoria began, standing next to Nick. “When I told you to try and have some _fun_ in Bunnyburrow, this is not what I meant!” She then proceeded to slap him on the arm multiple times as if to prove her point. 

Thankfully, after Nina brought everyone some glasses of tea, his parents somewhat managed to calm themselves down. 

“Ok...let me see if I understand this,” Victoria mumbled. “You both found out about this three weeks ago and you're here to visit this Dr. Firefox to get a clearer picture of the children.”

Judy and Nick, getting the feeling that they were both getting interrogated by the two nodded vigorously. 

Victoria and John looked at each other and sighed. Finally, his mother spoke, while occasionally getting interrupted by his father. 

“We’re not disappointed-” She began.

“We're _very_ disappointed.” John glowered. 

“No,” Victoria said in an attempt to shut her husband up. “We are just slightly confused...also a bit disappointed. 

“Man bro I know you love her but you couldn’t at least have waited until marriage?” Nina asked, yelling from the kitchen where she and Cooper were so obviously eavesdropping. Judy’s heart warmed slightly over the fact that he had said Nick loved her. But the feeling went away after his parents started speaking again. 

“Even if this is something none of us could understand-” His mom said.

“Never understand,” John added.

“ _Eventually_ understand. We will support the both of you for whatever you need.” She exclaimed caringly. John nodded as well, although still eyeing Nick. 

Judy ran up to hug the two foxes out of relief. Hearing that made her mind feel so much more at ease. Because maybe, it meant that her own mother and father would react as they would. 

“Now Judy if you ever need any support I’m right here.” She assured her. “I know what it's like having kits at a young age. Having Cooper at 18 was torture enough.” 

“I heard that!” Cooper screeched from the kitchen, still eavesdropping. Judy giggled at his brother but then faced Victoria with a warm smile. 

“Thank you. But right now I haven’t had much trouble, I’m only at 5 weeks right now.

“5 weeks! Nicholas! When were you even planning on telling us?” She said, screaming at him furiously. 

“I only found out about two weeks ago!” He exclaimed. 

“Don’t worry Ms. Wilde I made him promise to only talk about until after my first trimester,” Judy assured. 

“Sweetheart you're holding my grandchildren,” Victoria stated. “Call me mom.” 

“Hah!” Nina howled from the other room. 

“Ok... _mom_ ,” Judy giggled. Nick shook his head, putting his paws against it. 

“I’m never going to hear the end of this…” He sighed sadly. 

“Darn right you won’t!” Cooper hollered. 

* * *

After Nick managed to apprehend his siblings he and Judy retreated to his childhood room because in his mother's words, “why bother separating you two if she’s already pregnant?” This, of course, made Nick hurry to escape to the loneliness of the bedroom instead of having to continue listening to his family go on and on about his “accomplishments.” 

When they finally entered the room Judy took a glance around the way it was decorated. According to Nick, it hasn’t been changed since he left two years ago, maybe some slight adjustments here and there whenever he visited but not much. 

There were even more pictures of Nick plastered across the walls than from the living room but these appeared more up to date. There were pictures of him from his school days, his elementary graduation, him winning various track meets. Judy beamed at the sight of Nick’s happy childhood. But as she continued to look through the pictures she noticed there weren’t any recent ones. 

Judy knew what that meant, of course, he stopped taking any once he left Zootopia. And the only reason behind that had to have been because of Simone. She thought enough was enough and that it was around the time they’d have this conversation. 

“Nick...what happened between you and Simone?” She asked timidly. He sighed and stared at her. 

“Are you sure you want to know, isn’t exactly a happy ending?” Nick said sarcastically. 

“I can take it. Not as if I haven’t heard my fair share of ugly relationships from my sisters.” She said, persuading.

“Alright..” He exhaled. “Come here,” Nick gestured towards the spot on the bed next to him. Judy rushed over and plopped down beside him, listening attentively. 

“I met Simone when I was 12 or so...I think I started crushing on her in Middle School.” Nick began while she paid attention with wide eyes. 

“I’m not sure when I really fell in “love” with her but we started dating after our 8th-grade graduation.” He continued. “It wasn’t until the start of Highschool did we “promise” ourselves to each other.” 

“What does promising technically mean?” Judy asked. “I only know a little bit about canine craftsmanship but not all of it.” 

“It's slightly different for foxes...necessarily it means that we both promise to stay by each other and grow old by our partners' side.” Nick shrugged. 

“Aw, well that sounds sweet.” She smiled. 

“It was…at the start. Anyway, it wasn’t uncommon for foxes to start promising and finding mates early on since we mate for life so we both assumed we were ready.” He progressed. 

“Did you love her…” Judy pursued tentatively. 

“Used to,” Nick replied. “But Simone stopped meaning anything to me after she cheated.” He said darkly. 

“Was it bad?” She asked.

“Depends Carrots. Do you think cheating on your boyfriend with his best friend is bad?” Nick chuckled grimly. 

“Oh, Nick…” Judy exclaimed, rubbing his arm. “I’m so sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize Fluff. After all, I have an amazing girlfriend and three kits on the way so what should I have to be upset for?” Nick said grinning at Judy. She felt her heart warm at this and hugged him promptly. 

“I love you…” Judy mumbled into his shirt. He chuckled at the sight but soon wrapped his arms around her. 

“I love you too Judy…” Nick sighed happily. 

* * *

The next day during their trip to Zootopia, Judy and Nick took public transport to Mercy Sahara Hospital. When they walked in there multiple mammals with fractures, flu’s, and just about any other medical problem you could think of. 

When Judy walked past the lobby she saw families either bursting for joy or breaking down instantly. Hospitals have a reputation for being a crazy place.

Nick walked over to the secretary and asked which floor Dr. Friefox was situated and she merely told them they’d have to go up to the fifth floor and ask from there. Which wasn’t exactly helpful but it was a start. 

The couple traveled up the next five floors until finally hearing the pleasing “ding” indicating they’ve arrived. Nick and Judy walked past multiple nurses, asking questions and receiving no answers. Eventually, after having dealt with hundreds of mammals who wouldn’t give them the time of day the two reluctantly started to head back downstairs until a sweet red panda noticed them both. 

“E-Excuse me!” She shouted out, catching Judy and Nick’s attention. “Are you two Judy and Nick?” 

They looked at each other uncertainly but Judy ultimately answered. 

“U-Um yes, yes we are.” She stated.

“Oh great! I have been waiting for the two of you guys since Karla called me two weeks ago.” She said, laughing. 

“Wait are you Virginia Firefox?” Nick exclaimed relieved.

“Yep! And I can assume you two have been running around this hospital for long enough. Right?” Virginia said slyly. They nodded their head vigorously and she laughed yet again. 

“Well relax, you’ve found me.” She exclaimed gesturing to herself. “Now, follow me and we take a look at these kits!” Both of them hastily followed her into a nearby room and Judy comfortably adjusted herself on the long open bed. Looking around the room she realized how different it was compared to her farm-based clinic back in the burrows. The walls were slick painted yellow and around them were hundreds of fancy expensive equipment Judy didn’t recognize.

As a kid, she liked helping around the clinic with Karla but they still hadn’t had enough money saved up to improve it enough like the hospitals in the city. But still, it helped enough mammals there every day. 

Shortly after, Dr. Firefox applied a similar substance to Judy’s stomach that Karla had done two weeks ago. 

“So you're five weeks along now?” She asked while starting up the monitor next to them. 

“Yeah. Five weeks down, thirty-two to go!” Judy laughed, throwing her fist triumphantly. Virginia smiled at her but soon returned her attention to the screen. After a while, they finally saw the same three blobs that appeared in her body only a short while ago. But, this time, they were each slightly bigger. And their heartbeats beatted a little bit stronger. 

The same fluttery feeling returned to Judy and she could feel Nick’s paw intertwine with hers again. 

“Yep, three healthy kits from what I can see.” Dr. Firefox said happily.

“Really!?” Judy exclaimed. “Karla said that she wasn’t sure from the scans if they were ok or not.” 

“Well that was in her own opinion, plus I’m more experienced.” Virginia bragged. 

“So...were good?” Nick asked hopefully.

“Absolutely! Of course, with such a rare pregnancy I will wish to observe Judy more closely as she draws farther into this.” Dr. Firefox warned. 

“Oh of course!” Judy assured. “When should we come back?”

“Well according to the ultrasound these kiddos are growing normally and they all appear to be healthy, but we can’t take any risks.” She repeated. “So I think it would be best if I saw you again in around three or four weeks.” 

“Great...now I need to find another way to lie to my parents.” Judy groaned. Virginia chuckled at Judy’s outburst and then proceeded to clean off her stomach and prepare the two for discharge. 

“Oh!” Judy exclaimed turning back to the panda. “How much should we pay you? Karla gave the last one for free so I’m not sure how much these cost yet.” She asked timidly. 

“Well a normal one would be around 200$ but since you're a friend of Karla I’ll give this one on the house.” Virginia said, smiling. 

“I-I can pay! You don’t have-” Judy pursued until she stopped her midway.

“Sweetheart you have hundreds of different things to worry about at your age.” She said comfortingly. “So you don’t need to worry about this one too. Please, let me take care of this one.” 

She reluctantly agreed after looking to Nick for help and the two left the hospital more relieved than they had been two weeks ago. After leaving the building he and Judy waited outside uncomfortably. 

“What now?” She asked, glancing uncertainly at her boyfriend. 

“Well...we still have some time to kill given that it’s only 10:00 in the morning.” He sighed, grabbing Judy by the paw and leading her towards the public transport. 

“Wait, where are we going?” She asked, confused. Nick turned back around and looked her in the eye.

“Carrots...it's your first real day in Zootopia, do you really think I’m not going to let you see the sights?”

* * *

Nick had ended up taking Judy all over the city. To the Rainforest District, Tundratown, and even back to Savannah Central. He took her to the canals downtown and helped her visit almost each and every store they passed by. Especially the ones Judy had never heard of before. 

Having spent her entire life in the Burrows, she almost missed out on the chance to encounter Zootopia. Until now. The shops, the mammals, everything was something new and unexpected. Something that Judy had never experienced. 

The closest thing Judy could get to the city was the books and movies based all around it. But after meeting Nick, she’s gotten closer to Zootopia than she’s ever had before. And she doesn't want it to stop anytime soon.

Unfortunately, their trip had come to a close. And Judy and Nick exchanged goodbyes with his family. The last three days had probably been the most eventful in her life compared to the last 16 years living in Bunnyburrow. Yet here she was, on the last train home, paw in paw with the fox that she loved.

The train heading back was somewhat empty so the couple managed to snag a spot in the private room with the dome view sitting on top of the train. It was nice for Judy to have some time alone with Nick. Even if the two had spent the last three days together the one hour alone felt much less suffocating without his family or Dr. Firefox around them. 

Judy used the time to fall asleep against Nick’s shoulder while waiting for them to arrive. But deep within her thoughts, an idea came to mind, what if she actually told her parents before the end of her trimester?

They had already told Nick’s family so what harm would it be if she did the same. Their reaction to finding out about Nick was worrisome enough. So maybe if Judy then told them about the pregnancy wouldn’t there be a chance that they react the same? Her siblings would definitely be surprised. Especially after the multiple times, she's told her sisters that the only time she’d think about having kits would be after marriage. 

But it wasn’t like it was Judy’s fault entirely. Nick played a role in all of this too! Actually, when did this all happen, the bathroom stalls, before, or was it just from the very beginning when Judy first met Nick. She could remember how annoyed she had been to be face to face with the arrogant fox. The exact fox she assumed to be conniving and deceitful. It was two years ago on a crazy summer night. 

***~*** **Flashback** ***~***

“Oh for goodness sakes…” Judy chastised herself. She had been out late, again! Deciding that taking a brisk evening walk would help clear her mind. 

It was the end of Freshman year. And Judy could only wait until the next. Sure, college interviews didn’t start until her Junior year but that still left a considerable window to fill her mind with raging thoughts. 

Judy had finished the year at the top of her class, straight A’s and everything. But for her, it hadn’t been enough. Nothing ever was, she strived too hard but wanted too little. And throughout it all Judy could only think of how pathetic she was. Thinking that she ever had a chance to get into the Zootopia Police Academy. 

Recently that year she had sent a letter filled with questions about how she might be able to get in. They hadn’t even sent so much of a reply. Judy had tried calling, to ask if her letter had gotten misplaced, but the mammals laughed right at her once she mentioned who she was. Judy Hopps, the crazy rabbit with a dream. A dream that might just never come true. 

There had recently been the Blueberry Harvest Festival. And her parents had talked to her about seriously considering going into farm management. Who knows...maybe Judy should start considering taking her life in a different direction. One where she fell into society's stereotypical view on rabbits. Nothing more than a bunch of carrot farmers. 

Judy tried using the moon's light to navigate herself through the dark forest. But without the help of night vision, which prey did not have, she had very little chance of getting out of the forest before dawn. 

She tripped, stumbled, and bonked just about every part of her body through the branches and brambles surrounding her. Finally, Judy felt around, the area in front of her felt wide and open. She must have reached a clearing in the forest. 

Judy tried sniffing the air. Flowers. There are flowers in front of her. Violets of some kind, maybe petunias. She recognized this place! It was her hideaway when needing some alone time from her overbearing family back in Middle School.

The clearing was a nice place to clear her mind of clouding thoughts. It was also a sort of sanctuary when she needed a getaway. From siblings, parents, or traitorous stags who broke her heart. 

She walked aimlessly around, familiar with the exact steps it took to get from one side to the other. But halfway through her steps, Judy tripped over something soft but lifelike. 

She tumbled straightforward about to hit the ground, but something caught her. Or at least, someone. Judy shrieked, unaware of what was in front or behind her.

“Help! Som-” She tried yelling but a larger paw went over her mouth.

“Are you trying to get the cops on my tail?” A mysterious voice hissed. Judy struggled in his grip, kicked and moved, anything that would help loosen herself. 

“Jeez, calm down Fluff, before you end up kicking something you shouldn't.” The voice answered again, this time letting her go. 

Once Judy was out of his hols she promptly turned around, swinging her fist in hopes of attacking the person who so rudely grabbed her. Unfortunately, her paw was stopped by the force of another and she could hear a slight snickering in the darkness. 

“Who knew a cute rabbit like you would have some fight in her?” They laughed. Judy assumed the voice belonged to a male, some several sizes larger than her, explaining their strength. She could feel her face scrunching up in anger as she stared at whoever was in front of her.

“I am not _cute_.” Judy asserted. “I am-” She tried to say something more but was cut off by the male.

“Judy Hopps, the bunny with a big idea. I know, I know.” They laughed. Her ears perked up and she felt her nose twitch slightly.

“H-How do you know who I am?” Judy asked fearfully. 

“Don’t get your cottontail in a twist, Fluff. I try to learn the faces of my potential classmates.” He said comically. 

“Classmates…” She trailed off. “Wait! Do you go to Willowbrook?” Judy inquired, surprised. 

“Well, I will in a month or so.” He exclaimed. 

“W-Who are you even?” She yelled into the emptiness in front of her. Suddenly, a sliver of light passed through an opening above them and Judy caught a glance with the mammal in front of her. 

He wasn’t some buck, which she had initially assumed, but it was a fox. A tall striking fox stood in front of her. His eyes bore through the darkness, green slivers staring into her soul. She thought she had seen a glimpse of his fangs but maybe it was the moonlight reflecting off of him. 

His satire towered over her and Judy felt herself cowering slightly. The moment ended but right before it did she saw something flash over his eyes, hurt, denial, something.

“Oh let me guess...you're scared of me. The timid rabbit afraid of the big bad fox.” The tod chuckled darkly, stepping closer to her. 

“What! No! I-” She tried defending herself but he quickly cut her off.

“Save your explanation, Hopps.” He snarled causing Judy to back up, hitting a tree behind her. 

“Y-Your Nick Wilde...Aren’t you.” She said with sudden realization, but her heart still filled with fear. 

Judy was alone, in the woods, at night, miles away from home, with a fox. Not just any fox, but Nick Wilde. The fox from the city. The one rumored to always get into trouble in his old school. The one who everyone believed to get expelled over a huge fight that happened that very year. The one Judy hadn’t even met face to face, until now. 

“U-Um...Hi, I’m Judy, y-you already k-know that…” She stuttered, extending her paw. Judy didn’t know why or how but something inside her was telling her to trust him. That he wasn’t what others thought of him to be. If Judy really wanted to make the world a better place then she would have to go against society's view on foxes. Even if it was the same one as her own. 

She waited a few seconds, glancing uncertainty at Nick, unsure of whether or not he was even there. Eventually, his paw intertwined with her own, shaking in response. Her own paw felt small in his own, dainty even. But what fascinated Judy was the fact he had paw pads, something she's never seen before. 

Other species were interesting to Judy, especially if they were different from her own. Yet for some reason, fox's intrigued her the most. Which was strange since they rubbed her the wrong way in so many places. It might have just been her curious nature, or her biology finding its way back to her, but Judy smiled up at Nick, unsure of what would happen next. 

She never would have guessed that handshake would lead both of them down such an exciting adventure years to come. 

***~*** **Flashback Over** ***~***

Judy awoke, feeling something shake her up. 

“Carrots? Come on, we're here.” Nick whispered, trying to wake the sleeping doe. Groggily, Judy opened her eyes and smiled at the tod.

“Hey…” She yawned. 

“Get a nice nap Sleeping Beauty?” He smirked. 

“Yep. Who knew shoulders were such good substitutes for pillows?” Judy laughed tiredly. 

They exited out of the train station, exchanging a quick kiss away from unsuspecting residents passing by. Judy went on her way and Nick with his. She was sad for their trip to be over but she would definitely be hearing from him tonight, probably to talk about the hundreds of different names they would call their children. Or what brand of cribs they should buy. Judy giggled slightly at the thought of Nick freaking over what type of wood would be better.

“You know I think oak is promising but spruce just has such a nice ring to it,” he would say almost anytime they brought up the topic. But having Nick being so supportive before the kits were even born proved to her that he would be an even better father. 

As Judy finally reached her house when the sun was ending its rotation and causing the sundown to cover the skies she opened the door and walked in to see her father and mother waiting for her. 

“Oh, Sweetheart! How was Zootopia?” Bonnie asked excitingly.

“You didn't run into any trouble now did you?” Her father asked fearfully. 

“No, dad. And it was fun mom, I learned a lot about...managing farms.” She smiled awkwardly, remembering her lie. 

“Well, that's great! Sooner or later you just might be helping your siblings run the farm in the future!” Her father laughed. Judy played along, laughing with him. She already broke his trust by not telling him about Nick so breaking his hope for her running the farm in the future was a big no-go. 

Suddenly, Judy remembered the small though she had on the train before she drifted off. Her parents! She had to tell them. 

“U-Um I wanted to talk to you guys about-” Judy began but stopped herself. Should she really be talking about her kits when Nick was every part as involved with them as her? He was the father and she was the mother so they should tell them together. Technically, they told his parents together so why not her own? 

“I was wondering if we could talk about Nick…” She asked hesitantly. Her mother and father shared an uncertain glance. Similar to the one week ago, before her dinner with Jack, and the morning after. Were they about to go on yet another lecture about Nick being a “bad influence” on her? Because if they then Judy was fired up to fight back, this time, she wouldn’t be running away. 

“Well, darling we were actually wondering ourselves if you’d be open to inviting him over for dinner?” Bonnie smiled. 

“Wait really?” Judy exclaimed, surprised. 

“Yes. Really.” She said, assuring her. “Your father and I believe it would be better if we finally met the young man so we don’t jump to any more conclusions.”

“Oh! Oh my god yes! Yes, w-we can do that...Um, tomorrow?” Judy asked, hopeful and getting lost in the rush of the moment. 

“Sure! That works for us. Right, Stu?” Bonnie said, elbowing her husband until he nodded vigorously in agreement. Judy smiled at her parents and then walked back inside the house with a skip in her step.

That was, until she hovered slightly in the hallway by the front door, feeling her sense of euphoria drop steeply. 

Judy had just agreed to invite her boyfriend to dinner tomorrow night. Not some fancy date dinner but an actual stressful dinner with her parents. In her house, with her father's pitchfork only an arm's length away, while she was carrying three kits of his own.

Oh, sweet cheese and crackers what had she just done? 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know this chapter is posted a tiny bit earlier than the previous ones but I had an early three-day weekend I used to catch up on some work so in my free time I just continued writing! 
> 
> Great news for you guys at least! 
> 
> Anyway, my end of chapter notes would necessarily be longer but I'm posting this near midnight and I'm already tired so I'll just do a quick gag-joke and sign off. 
> 
> Orange you glad I added Simone as a character? 
> 
> Haha just joking she is garbage that left my mind and I just happened to throw in here XD
> 
> Remember, any suggestions are always helpful! See you guys in the next one :3


	8. Chapter 8 : The Dinner (Part 1)

**Chapter 8: The Dinner (Part: 1)**

* * *

Have you ever lost yourself in the heat of the moment? Whether it be during an intense sports game or in the middle of an important test where you have barely enough time to finish the last question.

Judy had always been the type to jump in headfirst. In her school, at home, even with Nick. She made no hesitation. Not thinking for just a moment there would be any possibility of something going wrong.

So when Judy was faced with the opportunity to finally explain herself to her parents, she took it. And oh god did she regret it. 

It wasn’t the fact she was afraid of her family. Judy had felt their wrath firsthand and was prepared for it. But she was afraid of how Nick would react. They were, after all, moving a tiny bit faster than she expected them to. Judy was in her fifth week and literally just told his family days ago. So you can’t really blame her if she feels a tiny bit worried over the fact of this happening all so soon. Let's just hope the birth isn’t as fast.

After Judy realized the seriousness of the situation she almost instantly called Nick. Now, down in her bedroom the two of them were screaming over the phone freaking out. 

“They want me to come over for dinner?” He yelled. “Judy!” They’re going to burn me alive!” 

“Nick calm down!” Judy shrieked. “They are not going to kill you. At least not my mother…” 

“That doesn't help me calm down Carrots.” Nick sighed. 

“I know, I know...It's just that, your parents seemed so happy when they found out so I hoped mine would too…” She said trailing off.

“Well, it isn’t like they enjoyed finding out about me at first.” He exclaimed grimly. 

“Yeah…” Judy shrugged, getting lost in her thoughts. Her parents, more importantly, her father, was livid two weeks ago once finding out about Nick. At least she still had some people in the family who might still somewhat support her. Julie of course, possibly her mother, and most likely all of her brothers. But she just didn’t know where the rest of her sisters stood with this. 

Worst case scenario Jeanette and Jackie might end blabbing about her pregnancy to the whole school. The whole town even! 

Jasmine, on the other hand, was logical. She might distance herself from Judy if wanting to. But as children, she would always look out for Judy since her seniority of being the eldest in the litter alongside Josh. So perhaps there was a chance Jasmine would continue to look out for Judy, right by her side instead of against it. 

“Do you think I should prepare something...Like a pie. Do boyfriends usually bake pies when they meet the family?” Nick asked hesitantly, breaking her trance. 

“What? Oh! Um, yeah. Just not rhubarb.” Judy warned.

“What's wrong with rhubarb?” He questioned. 

“Not rhubarb…” She repeated, much darker that time. 

“Ok...no rhubarb. How about Strawberry? Aren’t they in season?” Nick exclaimed. Judy’s mind wandered to the farmers market, and how it would probably be filled with hundreds of mammals rushing to get this year's harvest.

“Someone's been doing their research Slick.” She said, smiling into the phone. 

“Well, I try to stay on top of my girlfriends’ family profession. Especially if I’m going to be meeting them tomorrow.” He chuckled. 

“So I’ll come over after school and help you get ready?” Judy suggested.

“Carrots...you wouldn’t be trying to snatch a look into my apartment now, would you?” Nick questioned slyly.

“Guilty as charged. Now get a good night’s sleep and I’ll see you tomorrow. Love you.” She mused into the phone.

“Love you more Fluff.” He replied back. 

* * *

The next day, after Judy returned to the daily routine of waking up early and promptly submitting to her morning sickness, she left for school, hopeful for the upcoming dinner that night. 

Judy walked into Ms. Hathorne's classroom, catching Nick’s gaze. She smiled but quickly looked away before somebody noticed. Their last three days together felt like a perfect bubble just to themselves. But now, when they have to face their classmates and the biased view towards interspecies relationships Judy had to be careful. Maybe one day everything would be ok, and she wouldn’t have to worry about the buttloads of stress on her shoulders. But right now, she just had to get through this dinner and whatever else life throws her way.

The rest of her day at Willowbrook went by smoothly, Judy rushed past all of her classes, occasionally taking small breaks to take her prescription medicine from Karla and Dr. Firefox but also to meet up with Nick to get some time for themselves. She, unfortunately, had some run-ins with Dawn but Judy managed to go by unexpected from the malicious ewe. 

Soon, she thought. Sooner or later she would definitely have to tell Nick. Just not when they already had so much to worry about. 

Right now at the start of the year, the number of assignments was mild. But Judy knew it would start to grow as they delved deeper into the semester. This also meant that she would have to figure out a way she could somehow get her education without getting suspected by her classmates or tarnishing her future. 

Anyways, Judy also had to face Simone as well during the school day. Which may or may not have caused her to get into a very heated argument with her in the locker rooms. Thankfully no one else had been in there for the time but if they did they probably would have realized why Judy was even yelling at Simone in the first place. Because she was a cheating bitch that's why. Hell, if Judy had the chance she would have slapped her right then and there. But where's the satisfaction of physically and emotionally attacking your boyfriend's ex if no one else is around to see it.

What was ironic about the entire thing was that it wasn’t only Judy who exposed her hatred for Simone. Almost every single female in the school proved it to be very clear that she wasn’t wanted when during lunch everyone “accidentally” saved seats. Causing the vixen to sit alone near the dumpsters outside. Funny how none of the boys invited her to sit with them either? Perhaps someone had already warned them of her terrible track record. 

Judy assumed that it had to be anyone but Nick to have spread these rumors. Obviously Xena or some other jealous classmate, but not him. He made it clear that he didn’t want anything to do with her so she was glad he was telling the truth. 

After a long hectic day of school filled with drama, Dawn, and the neverending pressure of her teachers, Judy finally waited quietly behind the school waiting for Nick to show up. It was around 4:00 so he was already late. 

She thumped her foot against the ground impatiently, becoming increasingly irritated with the tod.

Finally, Nick pulled up behind the school right in front of Judy in a car. 

Hold up. What? 

Judy had been dating Nick for a long time, but not once had he mentioned anything about owning a car. He was always the motorcycle type in her eyes!

Judy walked up to him skeptically once he stepped out of the slick machinery facing her with a sly smirk.

“Ready to go Carrots?” He asked comically. 

“Nick...when did you buy a car?” She interrogated. 

“Why whatever do you mean?” Nick exclaimed, putting up his paws in defense. 

“Well, maybe I’m talking about the humongous car right behind you. You know, the one right there.” Judy said pointing behind him. 

“Oh, this?” He laughed. “No, I was just saving up some money for something and got the opportunity. Plus, it would be nice to not wheel around our children in strollers for the rest of their lives.” 

She stared at him in surprise. Nick really was serious about this. Not that Judy had ever doubted him. But wow, he was truly in this with her. 

“Wait what were you even saving up money for?” Judy asked confused as she stepped into the seat beside him. 

“Ah, it's not important. Right now we have a farmers market to visit.” Nick shrugged and started the car. She eyed him suspiciously but decided to drop the subject. Maybe they would come back to this later in the future. 

Right now, the only thing Judy was waiting for was the dinner she had to go to in three hours...Let's hope this one goes well. 

* * *

Judy and Nick pulled up to the Jackrabbit Apartment Complex and walked into room 232. Judy waited for a few seconds as Nick flipped the wall switch and allowed the room to come to life. Honestly, in her opinion, throughout the years she's known him she’d always assumed Nick to be more of a motel room kind of guy. But his apartment was nice, welcoming even. 

There were a few pictures here and there, some of his mother, his siblings, and even a few with him and Judy. She smiled at the old photos of them in the early stages of their relationship. Where Nick always managed to surprise her and make her feel happy for once. He still did, even now. 

She took a few more steps inside, placing the large baskets of ingredients on his kitchen countertops, while also seeing a wider scale of the apartment. The living room and kitchen were just a few feet away from each other. And Judy noticed two other rooms around the small hallway to her left. She assumed they had to be his bedroom and bath. 

Nick came up from behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist.

“You like it?” He said, whispering into her ears. Judy leaned back into his embrace and started absentmindedly playing with the fur against his face.

“It's bigger than my room that's for sure.” She giggled.

“Well that's sort of the point Carrots,” Nick exclaimed. “Now, should we start preparing the pie or stay like this for a few more seconds?” Judy contemplated the idea. Having a few quiet seconds with Nick while not having to worry about her inevitable doom sounded nice. But you know what also sounded nice? 

Having your parents be supportive of your opposite species boyfriend. While also being totally cool with the fact that you're also carrying his children. Which by the way there's three of them. 

So maybe spending even a second with said boyfriend not worrying about the upcoming dinner wasn’t the best idea. 

“Nice try Slick but you ain’t getting out of this dinner that easy,” Judy argued, dragging the reluctant fox into the kitchen with the groceries. 

“But I didn’t even ask for this in the first place!” He groaned, while ironically grabbing the basket of strawberries and beginning to wash them. 

“Yeah yeah, now shut up and keep washing that fruit while I’ll start on the crust.” She smirked. Nick rolled his eyes at the doe but happily continued to help. 

After around 1 hour and 25 more minutes, the couple looked at the finished dessert and sighed. Judy wiped her hands on the apron Nick let her borrow. But what confused her was why he had an apron in the first place.

“My mom sent it to me.” He said, shrugging. 

The pie looked great. About as great as two amateur teenage cooks could make a pie look. The strawberries laid slightly slanted at the top but started to look better once Nick helped pour the glaze over them. 

“If I didn’t know any better I’d say this pie was bought from the store.” He laughed hugging Judy from behind. 

“Mhm.” She mused in response. At last, Judy placed the chilled dessert into the large container and grabbed one quick look at her phone.

The time read 6:30. Which unfortunately meant they both had 30 minutes to get back to her house, help Nick look impressionable for her father, and then set up for the dinner. 

He noticed her thoughtful expression and followed Judy’s gaze. His eyes bulged in surprise and the two looked at each other, knowing they would have to start leaving. Immediately. 

“I get the pie and start the car?” She suggested already heading out the door, items in hand. 

“And I’ll get ready.” Nick nodded and retreated to his room to get changed. A school uniform covered in strawberry stains wasn’t the best option to meet her parents with. 

They both soon rushed into the car, Nick neatly dressed and Judy a baking mess. She switched seats with him quickly after finding out that her legs barely reached the pedals. And the thought of the both of them almost crashing because Judy couldn’t work the wheel didn’t sound like the best option right now. 

Nick managed to drive them up to her house just in the nick of time. Unfortunately, given how late they were, the two barely had any time to prepare. So Judy had to rush Nick into the house while also letting out a huge sigh of relief when noticed that her family was on the field instead of inside. 

Tuesday nights were always go and help your father set up the sprinkler system night. 

With no one in the house yet Judy had just enough time to prep the table, the pie, and herself. In the end, she decided on wearing a dark magenta dress with a sweetheart neckline topped with a silver teardrop pendant that was gifted by Nick on her 16th birthday. 

She paired the outfit with a pair of short strappy heels and headed back upstairs to Nick setting up the table. He turned around and locked eyes with her, dropping a fork on the table cloth. Judy fumbled with the hem of the dress slightly and looked back up at him.

“D-Does it look ok? I-I borrowed it from Jeanette since I don't have a lot of fancy dresses…” She mumbled. His mouth lay agape for a few more seconds but he soon composed himself and coughed giving a barely coherent answer.

“Y-You look b-beautiful.” Nick stuttered, almost whispering the last part. Judy’s ears sprung up quickly and she felt herself blushing all the way to their tips. She smiled at him slyly and then went to help him continue setting up the table. Placing out exactly 11 dishes for each family member that was about to meet Judy’s boyfriend in...about two minutes. 

As the nervous couple finished the last placement the front door swung open to reveal hundreds of tiny little rabbits running down the hallway and upstairs into the younger litter’s bedrooms. Thankfully, Judy’s younger siblings were too focused on who would manage to get up the stairs first that none of them noticed the fox standing in their dining room. 

She had imagined the situation countless times before, more that day than any other, but she always thought that one of her kid sister or brother would see Nick and start screaming out of fear. Most likely because of how badly their father represented them to all of his children. 

Malicious, Bunny-Attacking, Foxes. Or in his words, Deceitful liars that should never be corresponded with. 

Judy personally was afraid of foxes at first, because of her dad, but learned to become fascinated with them over time. So she had no idea why in the world would her father continue to hate them so much. She assumes it has something to do with her family’s history. Since back in the day it was normal for countless of her rabbit relatives to lose their lives to foxes. It was the circle of life after all. But even when they’ve all evolved thousands of years later, he still thinks foxes are nothing better than what he claims them to be. 

The fire of anger grew in Judy’s stomach while waiting for the neverending sea of her siblings to pass. 

Finally, her mother shooed them all upstairs, chastising them for being so disruptive, and ultimately noticed Nick and Judy standing awkwardly by the fully set dining table. 

“Oh, Sweetheart! And you must be...Nick!” Bonnie exclaimed with wide eyes. Judy’s siblings poked their heads from around the doorway and her father promptly followed. They all stood in the doorway gawking at him. 

“So...let's eat!” Judy proclaimed, hoping to break some of the tension. Everyone clumsily walked into the dining room and found their seats. The couple situated right beside each other while also across from her parents. 

The two moved towards their seats and as he was pulling out her chair Nick bent down and whispered into Judy’s ear.

“Do you think I can still escape without your day pulling his pitchfork on me?” He muttered fearfully. She looked him dead in the eye and whispered back.

“Not a chance Slick. Not. A. Chance.” 

* * *

They all sat uncomfortably in silence while eating the salads Judy managed to prepare in under 5 minutes. No one spoke but everyone sure did look around the table, glancing at the seats around them. Hoping that someone, anyone but them, would break the silence that had settled into the room. 

After what seemed like forever, Jeanette finally breaking the silence by complementing Judy’s dress.

“You look amazing,” Jeanette said caringly, until realizing the dress was in fact hers. “Wait a minute did you take that from my closet?”

“Well, you weren’t using it!” Judy argued. 

“Because I wasn’t planning to!” She exclaimed.

“Crazy sisters...fighting over dresses,” Jasmine mumbled, shaking her head at the girls. The group chuckled, everyone more at ease once they delved deeper into the dinner. 

“Nick, I heard you were made captain on the track team,” Julian stated.

“Yeah...We're getting pretty excited for the first meet of the season.” Nick replied happily. Soon after, Judy’s brothers included themselves in the conversation and surprisingly got along with him. Especially with their love for sports. 

Except for Josh. Josh was interested in the type of car Nick had bought. But when he was talking about that Judy noticed her father getting slightly invested as well. If you want to win over the man of the house, talk cars. Worked like a charm back in the day so no reason it wouldn’t work now. 

Judy felt much more relaxed in the middle of the dinner than she had been at the start. And when her dad and Nick were actually speaking to one another without her father even glaring at him, Julie leaned closer to her from the side and murmured.

“It's going great!” She exclaimed while giving Judy a small thumbs up to cheer her on. 

At the end of the dinner, things looked as if they would go off without a hitch. Judy’s father didn’t bring out his pitchfork and he genuinely seemed to be getting along with Nick. Her parents even let him meet some of her younger siblings. 

They were hesitant at first since Nick was probably the first fox they’ve ever met, but one by one her siblings warmed up to him. It didn’t hurt that they had offered most of them slices of the strawberry pie either. 

In her opinion, the night went great! No surprises, no drama, and not one of her siblings tried making any rude statements towards Nick. In fact, Judy might have tried telling her family about the pregnancy that night. But she decided against it. 

Why bother something that has already turned out to be perfect. Because if the rest of the night turned out to be like the first half then maybe Judy and Nick could have a chance of letting their kits meet their grandparents. 

While Nick was in another lengthy conversation with her parents, Judy’s sisters pulled her aside into the kitchen while they all helped clean the dishes. But in honesty, they just wanted to dish out the gossip.

“So, have you done it?” Jeanette asked bluntly. 

“What! Why would you ask me that!?” Judy exclaimed embarrassed. 

“Well, you’ve been together for two years. Can you blame me?” She retaliated. 

“Wow, two years...that's the longest relationship in this family!” Jasmine murmured. 

“Oh, are you two getting married?” Jackie laughed.

“Guys this is Judy we're talking about.” Julie intervened. “The only thing she's getting married to is her work.” Her sisters giggled in agreement and Judy ignored them, simply continuing to wash out the rest of the utensils. 

“Wait, does Sharla know? I mean your best friends so I just assumed she would before us.” Jeanette asked. 

“Nope. Consider yourselves special because the only mammals that know are everyone in this house.” Judy mumbled while placing the dishes to dry and wiping her paws with a towel.

“Aww, you wanted us to know first.” Jackie smiled. 

“I wanted you all to know after a while, not when I was screaming at every single one of you because you tried to set me up with a stranger.” She accused them jokingly. 

“In our defense.” Jeanette began. “He was a very hot stranger.” The group laughed at her statement and she continued on. “Do you guys think he was single?”

“Aren’t you already in a relationship?” Jasmine questioned. 

“Yeah for about three more seconds,” Jeanette mumbled while typing quickly on her phone. “Aaand we are broken up.” 

“Seriously? You broke up with him over text?” Julie proclaimed. 

“Well if you and Conner were breaking up how would you do it?” She argued.

“Conner and I are fine! Why would you even suggest that?” Julie interrogated. 

“I think he’s lying about his name.” Jeanette shrugged. 

“Jeani, why would he lie about his name? We’ve known him for months now.” Jasmine added. 

“He just looks like a Karl or Steve. Not Conner or whatever.” She explained. Judy laughed at her sibling's bickering but promptly noticed Julie starting to fidgeting with the cuffs of her sweater nervously. 

Concerned, she dragged the two of them out of the room while the rest of her sisters were distracted over something on Jackie's phone.

“Are you alright?” Judy pressed. “Is something going on between you and Conner? You guys seemed so happy when he came over for the Blueberry Harvest.” Julie glanced at her hesitantly, still fumbling with her sweater. 

“Jules, what's wrong? Please, you can tell me.” She emphasized. 

“Ok...I was waiting to find the best time tonight to tell everyone, or at least you.” Julie began gesturing to her. “But I thought it might freak out mom and dad…” 

“What is it?” Judy urged. 

“It’s...It’s that Conner isn’t a bunny. H-He isn’t even a prey…” She muttered shyly. 

“B-But we’ve met him before! H-He’s as tall as Jackson a-and his fur is brown like dad’s!” Judy expressed, trying to prove her point. 

“That wasn’t Conner...It was some buck I paid to act like him.” Julie explained. 

“What...You paid someone to be your boyfriend?” She asked, confused. 

“No. I paid them to be an “acceptable” boyfriend. One that I knew dad wouldn’t be disappointed with. But after seeing him get along with Nick so easily I thought...I _hoped_ that maybe he would be ok with the real Conner.” Julie said sorrowly. 

“Then who is Conner?” Judy challenged. 

“H-He’s...he’s a wolf. A wolf I met online from one of my artist's forums...He was sweet at first, complimented my sketches and posts. So I talked with him for a few weeks, that turned into months and the next I knew was that I was meeting him at some diner a few months ago…” 

She stared at her sister, understanding every feeling Julie was feeling right now. Because Judy felt exactly the same when she first met Nick. In truth, they weren’t so different. They never were. 

“Jules...if mom and dad could learn to accept me and Nick, then I know they will no doubt trust you and Conner.” She smiled, touching her shoulder comfortingly. Julie looked at Judy and smiled, hugging her. 

They both stayed like that for a few more seconds until hearing Jeanette's voice yell from the kitchen. 

“Oh my god!”

The two broke from the other's embrace and ran into the room frantically.

“What's going on?” Judy exclaimed looking at her sisters. Jeanette quickly looked up from her phone and scowled. 

“He literally moved on just like that.” She sneered. 

“Who moved on?” Julie asked from behind Judy. 

“What? Oh, just my jerk ex-boyfriend. He posted pictures of himself and this doe all over his page and deleted any of them with me in it.” Jeanette shrugged. 

“Oh, Jeani... Are you ok?” Judy asked. 

“Yeah totally.” She said, suspiciously chipper. 

“Jeanette if you want to talk about it…” Jasmine suggested from beside her. 

“Oh, no. It's fine, besides. Sooner or later the news about Judy and Nick will take everyone's mind off it.” Jeannette stated. 

“Oh no no no n-n-no. Nobody is telling anybody about me and Nick.” Judy threatened. 

“Wait, why not? Ooo do you not want Simone to find out and have a lovers quarrel?” Jackie exclaimed. 

“Well, we already kind of had one…” She mumbled angrily. 

“What!” Julie asserted. “When?”

“It was today, actually. Only because she was such a terrible girlfriend that I _had_ to tell her off when I got the chance. No one saw, of course.” Judy explained. 

“Wow. Do you think she suspected something?” Jeanette asked. 

“Probably...But I’m serious when I say that _nobody_ says anything about us. We're taking it one step at a time trying to tell everyone. And I’m grateful you were all so supportive.” She said smiling at her sisters. Julie grabbed her paw in her own and smiled back. 

“Of course…” Julie assured. 

“Yeah, we’ve got your back don’t worry.” Jasmine proclaimed, hugging both of them. Jeanette and Jackie soon followed and the siblings shared a caring hug, one filled with hope. 

And Judy knew that she’d not only have two of her sisters supporting her through this but all of them would. 

* * *

While everyone was saying their goodbyes to Nick in the middle of the living room Judy took one last glance around at the group. She didn’t know why, but there was this faded feeling of stress still growing in her. So maybe the reassurance that things were going perfectly and no one was attacking anyone with pitchforks helped calmed her. 

Her father gave him a firm slap on the back and a reminder that if he “tries” anything with Judy he will run his tractor over him. Nick laughed awkwardly and said there wasn’t anything to worry about but he still looked in Judy’s direction hesitantly. 

A little bit late for that…

Sure they haven’t set a plan to tell her family yet but it wasn’t as if they prepared one for Nick’s. The only reason they found out about the pregnancy was through Cooper and his exceptional smelling. 

Judy wondered how come Nick wasn’t able to smell anything at first. And if him, why not all the other foxes in the burrow either? Xena, Simone, Neve. They all most likely had the same skill so wouldn’t one of them end up finding out as well?

The thought frightened her and she took another scan of the room anxiously. Everything was fine, they were all fine…

When noticing how late in the night it had become, Judy walked over to her parents and Nick in an attempt to remind him they both still had school the next day. He beamed when seeing her and promptly took the hint.

“Well Mr. and Mrs. Hopps it has been a pleasure meeting you but I am afraid I should be hitting the hay soon if I want to make it to school tomorrow,” Nick smirked gracefully, shaking paws with the two of them. Judy grinned when her father shook his paw with no hesitation.

“Now you be careful out there Nick, the roads are dangerous at night and I wouldn’t forgive myself if I let my daughter's boyfriend drive around aimlessly potentially hurting himself,” Bonnie warned as she walked into the hallway alongside her and Nick. 

Judy was just about to open the door and walk him to his car as a sort of romantic finish to a perfect night when Jackie called her name from the living room. 

“Judy! Someone's calling you on your phone!” She yelled.

Her paw hovering over the door handle fell and she turned to face her sister.

“That's strange...Who is it? Judy questioned turning around.

Jackie entered the hallway with her ringing cell phone, as well as the rest of her siblings. Now the entire group, her litter, her parents, and her and Nick were standing in the spacious hallway waiting for an answer. The air was strangely tense. And Judy felt the feeling in her stomach grow.

Jackie looked down at the screen and bulged her eyes in surprise. 

“Oh, it's just Karla. I’ll put her on speakerphone.” She shrugged and swiped at the phone.

Judy looked at Nick in fear and he mimicked her expression. The only possible reason that Karla had to be calling her so late at night was because of the small fetal blobs growing in her body that very second. 

She reached her hand out in protest but it was too late. A slight click from the other line and Karla started speaking almost instantly before Judy had a chance to say anything.

“Hi, Judy! I know it's late and you're probably tired or hard at work.” She laughed and Judy felt her ears dropping behind her back in fear. Karla continued. 

“I was just talking with Virginia and wanted to congratulate you and Nick. I’m so glad the appointment went great for you guys! And Virginia told me that all three of the kits looked healthy! Yay for the two of you! Anyways, I just wanted to talk about scheduling your next ultrasound and - oh! Sorry, I’m getting paged for a consult. I’ll have to talk to you tomorrow! Have a good night!” She exclaimed, ending the call. 

The phone slipped through Jackie's paws out of shock and no one spoke as it fell softly on the carpeted floor. Judy fearfully looked at anywhere but her family’s expressions. There weren’t any responses but she knew deep in her heart they were all staring at her. Waiting for Judy, or Nick, to say something, anything. 

Finally, her father turned his head slowly at the couple. Proncuciating his words slowly but sternly. 

“What. Did. She. Say?” He muttered. 

“I-I u-um…” Just stuttered but her words failed to form. She didn’t know what to say, what to do. 

“Surprise…?” Nick exclaimed awkwardly. 

Judy let her head fall into her paws agitated. At least he wasn’t running for his life out of the house. But by the look her father was giving the two of them, he would have no chance if he tried leaving now.

No chance at all…

**To be continued… >:)**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay Chapter 8 :)
> 
> So I know my schedule been slightly earlier for a few chapters and I will explain that. But first! My usual end of chapter shenanigans :3
> 
> Simone still sucks, fancy dinner and fancy pie (Yum), surprising but not really but Nick won over her father while talking about cars, and last but not least...A CLIFFHANGER
> 
> DUN DUN DUNNNN
> 
> MUHAHAH, ALL OF YOU MAY SUFFER BENEATH MY WILL >:3
> 
> This chapter, as you may or may not have noticed, is broken up into two parts. Or however long I plan it to be. So obviously I left it with a cliffhanger. 
> 
> Can you blame me? I love torturing you guys :3 It's my source of joy in this cruel world. 
> 
> Anyway, now for the bad news...Not so much for you guys but for me. My entire grade just got put under quarantine in my school. So now I have to stay home for two weeks :( 
> 
> I'll most likely be posting earlier from now on since of the extra time so I hope that can cheer you guys up. 
> 
> Stay safe out there you guys. Don't be stupid like my classmates.
> 
> I'll see you in the next one! :3


	9. Chapter 9: The Dinner (Part 2)

**Chapter 9: The Dinner (Part 2)**

* * *

Her father's eyes stared deep into her soul. They were filled with anger or disappointment. Judy couldn’t really tell. But what mattered that very second was the fact the secret she had no plan on sharing tonight had just gotten exposed. Because Karla just had to be such an amazing and organized doctor.

Great job Karla but seriously, you need to have some better timing.

The silence lasted for maybe a minute more until Jeanette screamed out of shock. 

“Judy’s pregnant! Before me?” She shrieked. From there the rest of her siblings expressed their opinions, each of them overlapping on top of the other. 

“When were you even thinking about having a kit?” Jasmine exclaimed with wide eyes. 

“What the hell man!” Josh yelled. 

“Are you trying to hurt out baby sis? Because if you, I swear to god-” Jackson started before getting cut off by Julian. 

“We’re gonna kill you that's what.” He threatened. 

“Three kits? Judy!” Jeanette gasped again. “Did you even bother using protection?”

“How would that even work between them?” Jackie mumbled confused. “Was he the bottom or…?” 

“I-I c-can’t...y-you’re…” Julie stuttered incoherently barely managing to say a word. 

Her mother didn’t say anything, her mouth open in shock. While her father looked as if he was about to shoot Nick dead in the skull. 

Finally, infuriated with just about every member of her family in the room Judy shouted, grabbing their attention.

“Ok everyone shut up!” She demanded. The room went still once they all stopped talking. They all waited for her to say the next word and throughout it all Nick hovered protectively in front of Judy in case things were going to take a turn for the worst. Not that her family would even think about laying a paw on one of their own, but maybe the possible thought of him getting into a fight with her father or brothers and potentially getting Judy caught in between it scared him. 

She shared a quick smile with him before returning her focus back to the mammals in front of her. But before she got a chance to say anything her father finally spoke, beating her to it. 

“Living room. Everybody. Now.” He demanded sternly. The group scurried into the room immediately but Nick stayed behind sure.

“Should I stay here or…” 

“Wilde if you don’t get in here and explain what in god’s name you have done to my daughter then I will not hesitate to bring out my shotgun!” Stu bellowed. Nick instantly entered the room and sat beside Judy. 

She fiddled with her thumbs anxiously as the room fell into an awkward silence. Her siblings hovered behind the couch where their parents sat. Unsure if anyone of them should say something or try intervening. Jasmine looked as if her head was about to explode with the intense debate she was having with herself. 

Thankfully, Bonnie started the conversation Judy was only dreading to have. 

“Maybe we can all go through this slowly like rational adults-” She began until her father yelled and broke her off. 

“Adults!” He exasperated. “She’s 16! They’re not even close to becoming functional adults let alone him!” 

“I really think I should-” Nick tried to say something in his defense but of course with almost everyone in the room thinking of plans to kill him it didn’t really work in his favor. 

“You shouldn’t  _ think _ anymore young man,” Stu said gravely. 

“Why are you even attacking him, dad? You were fine three minutes ago!” Judy groaned. 

“Three minutes ago I didn’t know that my daughter’s boyfriend got her pregnant!” He screamed in response. 

“Sweetheart, what were you thinking?” Bonnie said, adding on. 

“Oh my god…” Judy sighed, shaking her head in her paws. Her family had been overbearing and completely judgemental many times before in her life. But this, this was insufferable. 

“Do you think I should say something?” Nick whispered into her ear. 

“Maybe if we ignore them hard enough they’ll go away? She muttered back, shrugging her shoulders. 

“Are you two stupid?” Josh asked bluntly. 

“Or just plain crazy.” Jackson continued. 

“Judy I don’t even recognize you right now,” Julie said worryingly. That was what set her off. Judy sprung up immediately, pointing her paw at Julie.

“You are a hypocrite! You do not have the right to judge me right now.” She screamed. Julie looked taken aback at her outburst and glanced frantically around the room. 

“What is she talking about Jules?” Jackie questioned. 

“I-I d-don’t know! M-Maybe it's her f-freak pregnancy talking.” She responded. Judy stared at her sister in shock. All this time, she assumed if anyone was going to stick up for her it would be Julie. But she was only protecting herself…

That lying bitch. 

“Julie is dating a wolf,” Judy said in a burst of anger. Her sister's ears sprung up in shock and her frantic glances intensified. 

“WHAT!” Jeanette shrieked dramatically. 

“You too?!” Jackie exclaimed. 

“What is going on in this family…?” Julian mumbled. 

“Judy! What the heck?” Julie wailed. 

“Oh, I’m sorry it must have been my  _ freak _ pregnancy talking.” She responded sarcastically. 

“I thought I could trust you!” Julie accused.

“And I can’t believe you thought you could get away with it!” Judy exclaimed.

“What are you even talking about?” She demanded.

“I’m talking about your ridiculous lie Jules.” Judy sighed, exasperated. “First you say that Conner was a bunny and actually go out of your way to pay some buck to pretend to be him.”

“What?” Her parents shrieked but she ignored them and continued her rant.

“Then you go ahead and tell me that you hadn’t even met the real Conner until a few months ago. So why would you even bother introducing us to your decoy when you most likely would’ve gotten off scot-free if you pretended to be in a long-distance relationship!?” Judy stated. 

“I don’t think you're in any place to give relationship advice.” Julie scoffed.

“Yeah? Well, I don’t think you're in any place to judge me and my choices. Especially when we’re in the same boat.” She said challenged. 

“Julie’s pregnant too!?” Jasmine squealed, having just about enough with her dramatic siblings. 

“No I just meant cause we’re both dating predators and…nevermind” Judy sighed ending her rant. 

“I can’t believe this...Both of my daughters!” Her father exclaimed. 

“Why are you acting so shocked about this?” She questioned. “I thought you guys actually liked the idea of me and Nick.”

“Because we were pretending!” Her mother shrieked, causing Judy to sit back down on the couch beside Nick in shock.

“W-What…” She stuttered confused. 

“We didn’t want to make you feel betrayed again like at the dinner with Jack so we agreed before tonight to just act like we were fine…” Josh explained. 

“So...you all thought that lying to me again was better than expressing how you felt actually was a good idea?” Judy interrogated. 

“Well...sorta.” Jeanette shrugged. 

“Jude can you really blame us? He’s a fox!” Her father exclaimed referring to Nick as if he wasn’t even in the room. 

“Yeah. My boyfriend Is a fox. Get over it!” Judy exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. 

“Carrots, it's OK. Really I’m-'' Nick tried to calm her down but she stopped him mid-sentence, feeling the need to stand up for her family's rude opinion. 

“No Nick! It’s not OK. You have stuck it through with me every day of our relationship and they can’t seem to understand that. You came to every ultrasound and y-you even bought a car to prepare!” She cried looking him in the eyes. Nick smiled at Judy and wrapped her paw in his as she smiled back. And for a split second, everything felt normal again. 

Until she remembered her family was in the room judging her every move. 

“He actually did all of that for you…?” Jasmine murmured in surprise. 

“Yes. Yes, he did.” Judy grinned looking at him then back at her family. 

“How do you know he didn’t just steal the money to pay for all it!?” Her father argued, interrupting.

“Actually I paid for it with my  _ own _ money because I have a job,” Nick interjected. 

“And where exactly do you work?” Stu scoffed. 

“Well over the summers, I help at my dad’s company, and after-school I help out at the Bunnyburrow Beacon on weekends.” He bragged gracefully. Judy beamed at him in support, knowing he would be able to save this after all.

But her father's expression didn’t falter. He just continued to glare disapprovingly at the fox. 

“Oh come on! He has a job!” She sighed aggravatingly. 

“So does Josh!” Stu yelled in response.

“At the Carrot Shack! Nick works at a company!” Judy exclaimed.

“What type of company?” He asked skeptically. She looked at Nick immediately. At the moment Judy didn’t really know what his father’s company did. The only thing she learned from their trip was that it was something non-profitable and that it helped the community. Everything else was blurred with the stress of her pregnancy. 

“It's a non-profit. He started it around new-years. They’re working to get more prey involved in the government, with a lot of rallies and petitions.” Nick responded happily. Judy beamed at his response. That was why she liked his company in the first place. 

“And what do you do there? Swindle mammals out of their hard-earned money!” Her father interjected, breaking the happy moment. Judy was about to say something in his defense but Nick stopped her by putting an arm around her to calm her down.

“Sir I know you don’t approve of me dating your daughter-” Nick began

“100% I don’t.” He sneered. 

“And I don’t blame you. But I promise that I won’t leave Judy’s side, I don’t care how many mammals or how many times you want to say that I’m nothing more than some no-good fox because I’m not going anywhere.” Nick sighed but continued. “I love Judy. And I know that I will love every single one of our kits.” 

She looked at him, tears brimming her eyes, and smiled. 

“Thank you…” Judy murmured quietly. He hugged her tightly and muttered back. 

“Anything for you Carrots.” 

Unfortunately, Judy’s father was not moved by Nick’s sentimental monologue and proceeded to berate her boyfriend even more. 

“Jude you can’t really expect to start a life with him! What happens when you meet a nice buck in the future and scare him away because of your intermixed children.” He screamed in protest. 

“Why would it even matter if I meet some “nice” buck when I already am in a relationship!” She yelled defending Nick. 

Her father stared at her silently, his eyes squinting in thought. Judy had no idea what rant he was about to go off on now. Whether Nick was a terrible boyfriend or that she was out of her mind had to be one part of it. 

“You’re getting an abortion.” Stu finally said. Causing Judy to look him dead in the eye in response. Her heart sped a million beats per second and the only thing she could feel was Nick shaking her out of her trance. 

“Carrots.” He whispered, trying to get her to say something. Judy looked to the ground feeling sick. Of course, her father would suggest something like this. 

“I-I d-don’t…” She stuttered, unable to let the words form from her mouth.

“Go to your room. We’ll schedule an appointment tomorrow.” He demanded pointing the two of them into the hallway. 

She wordlessly got up, Nick’s arm still tightly around hers and they walked to the door. Judy waited a few seconds, staring at the handle while listening to the voices of her family still murmuring in the living room. Her heart ached at the thought of getting an abortion. Sure the pregnancy wasn’t ideal but that never meant she had thought about getting rid of them. They were her children in there. Her and Nicks… 

He stood by her side, throughout all of this. She can’t give in to her father's wishes, or her siblings. Suddenly, a crazy, almost impossible thought popped into her head.

What if...she just went away. If her parents couldn’t accept her for who she was or who she wanted to be with then surely they wouldn’t be able to accept their own grandchildren that came from her. And Judy would never want that kind of life for her kits. Even if it meant potentially cutting ties with the only family she’s ever known. 

But it was a price worth taking if it meant she would get to be with the one she loved each and every day from here on out. 

Judy quickly grabbed Nick’s keys from the small wooden bowl beside the door and shoved them into his paws before pulling him down by his tie and dropping her voice to a whisper. 

“Start the car. Wait for me and in about 5 minutes we’re leaving.” She muttered rapidly, still calculating the plan in her head. 

“W-What?” Nick asked, still processing what she’d just said. 

“Go outside,” Judy repeated. “Wait 5 minutes for me to come back out. And prepare to drive us far away from here.” 

“So...you’re leaving? Running away? Like in a romance movie?” He asked, still confused. 

“Yep,” Judy said, nodding her head vigorously. 

“W-Wait are you sure? I don’t want to force you to do something that you might end up regretting.” Nick exclaimed, putting his arm on her shoulder in order to stop her racing amount of adrenaline. 

“Nick.” She began, looking him dead in the eye. “Never in my life have I thought that my parents might ultimately force me to get an abortion. You and I love these kits and I’d rather rid myself of the Hopp name than get rid of them.” 

He looked back at her uncertain but ultimately signed, placing his paws carefully over her stomach.

“Your mom's a persistent one. I'll give you that.” Nick muttered at the kits, who weren’t even old enough to have formed ears yet but the gesture was still sweet enough.   
She smiled, placing a quick kiss on his cheek until pushing him out the door and turning around in the direction of her bedroom. Judy then promptly ran into Jasmine as she was coming out of the living room where the rest of her family still sat. Completely unknown to the insane plan happening under their roof. 

“O-Oh Judy! Has Nick already left?” Jasmine proclaimed looking behind her.

“Um, yeah. Just now.” Judy answered uncomfortably. The two stood there awkwardly in the hallways until Jasmine eased the silence by talking again.

“It's still really tense in the living room. Mom and dad are taking it out Julie since you told us about Conner.” She mumbled. 

“Hmm.” Judy mused in response to non-heatedly. She had no time to care about what was happening to Julie. That hypocritical lying doe just back-stabbed her in front of their litter. And she was her BFTF. (Best Friend in The Family)

A betrayal from her stung. But right now, Judy wanted nothing more but to get the heck out of this house and back into the loving arms of her boyfriend. 

“I’m sorry!” Jasmine blurted out of no-where. 

“What?” Judy exclaimed. “Why?” 

“I j-just stood by and let dad insult you and Nick and I didn’t even do anything! I’m supposed to look out for you. Not let you get pushed down and forced into insane solutions.” She said, tears staining her cheeks. 

“W-Wait...so you don’t think I should get an abortion? Or hate the idea of me and Nick?” Judy asked unsurely. 

“Of course not! I support you guys through and through! I didn’t even know what mom and dad were planning on doing until I got back from work today!” Jasmine assured. 

She stared at her sister skeptically. Her entire family, mostly her parents, just broke her heart in a matter of seconds. But Jasmine had always managed to stick it through with her. In reality, Jasmine was her Nick in the family. As weird as it sounds, it was true. 

“I need you to listen to what I’m about to say and promise to not freak out,” Judy stated, pulling both of them out of the group's ear-shot. Jasmine nodded vigorously and kept quiet. 

“I’m leaving with Nick. Right now.” She finally explained. Her eyes bulged in shock and before she had the chance to scream or shriek in response, Judy put a paw over her mouth.

“I just said don’t freak out.” She repeated aggravatingly. Jasmine appeared to look calmer so she dropped her paw and allowed her to speak. 

“What can I do?” Jasmine eventually said. 

“Wait, you  _ want _ to help?” Judy exclaimed shocked. 

“Yes! Now hurry up and let me!” She demanded. Judy laughed at her sister and smiled. 

“Ok. Can you help out with a diversion? I don’t want Nick getting chased by dad and his tractor.” She asked hopefully. 

“Duh. But I’m not performing some kind of weird dance like last time.” Jasmine said squinting at her. Judy laughed again, remembering their last escape plan from the summer. When the two had wanted to see this movie but had to get out of their punishment of eradicating the weeds at the farm. It was chaotic, but in the end, it worked. 

Judy quickly left the work to her sister and headed back downstairs and into her bedroom. She hastily grabbed everything that would be essential, her computer, backpack, phone, and one small suitcase that was big enough to fit almost all of her clothes. 

When she was done Judy took one last look around her room to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything important. All that was left was her bed and empty desk and closet. The room felt barren as if it was untouched by her presence. But the only thing that remained the same was all the years of memories plastered along her walls.

The pictures had been old and new, each of them taken at some moment in her life. They were filled with her family, friends, first day at school, and just about any other milestone, she could think of. 

The problem was, Judy couldn’t fit a lifetime full of photographs into her suitcase. And it wasn’t like she needed to. Her future involved Nick and no one else. Well maybe Jasmine and her kits too, but no one else. She promptly grabbed the last remaining pictures of her and Jasmine off the walls and stuffed them into her backpack. 

Judy walked back out into the hallway, hearing the loud noises still coming from upstairs. She must be going to town on this diversion, Judy thought. She was about to head out to complete her grand exit but soon realized she was still wearing her dinner dress. 

It was after all Jeanette's. So maybe stealing that wouldn’t be the best thing to end on. Judy retreated back into her room and got out of the tight dress, relieved to not appear formal anymore, and threw the piece of clothing back into her sister's room. 

She quietly crept back upstairs and waited outside the living room, listening against the door to make sure her family was still inside instead of being out and about. Thankfully, Jasmine’s diversion was working perfectly and the group was captivated by her long monologue of the importance of picking the right soil. 

The only way to distract farmers is with dirt! Everyone knows that. 

Judy headed out the front door instantly, already seeing the bright headlights of Nick’s car. She threw her luggage into the trunk and sat beside him at the front. Before he turned the ignition Nick turned to face Judy one more. 

“Are you still sure about this?” He asked pensively. She stared out the window and back to the house one more time. But she had already made up her mind, her family didn’t want her kit or Nick so then she wouldn’t want them. 

“Yeah...let’s go.” He started the car and they drove out of the driveway never looking back.

* * *

Nick parked the car outside his apartment, similarly to the last time she was here earlier that day. He helped bring up her luggage since there wasn’t exactly much. And Judy walked inside the room alongside him. 

She stood aimlessly in the doorway, taking familiar glances around the room. Somehow...it felt brighter than the last time she was here. Maybe it because of how terribly the dinner went or the fact her parents almost forced her to get an abortion but everywhere that wasn’t her house felt much less suffocating. 

Judy leaned against the wall feeling a tight pain against her chest and a lump in her throat. Nick immediately showed up beside her.

“Carrots are you ok? You're crying.” He exclaimed, rubbing her back. She moved a paw to her face and felt the long streaks of tears going down her face. 

“O-Oh...I-I um...God, I actually ran away.” Judy laughed breathlessly. Everything came rushing to her now. Her family, the people she’s grown up with and lived around. She just left that all behind! Judy wouldn’t get the chance to see her younger siblings ever again! Would they even realize she was gone right now? 

Well, most likely they wouldn’t. Right? They could go about their night assuming she went to bed early and left for school before them in the morning. The only mammal that knows she isn’t coming back is Jasmine! Shouldn’t she at least call her parents to let them know she wasn’t kidnapped?

Judy started to reach for her phone out of her jean pocket but Nick came in front of her.

“Carrots...it's 12:00 in the morning and I know we both have an early test tomorrow morning. We can call your parents tomorrow and let them know you're ok.” He said reassuring her. She nodded quietly and leaned against him as he wrapped his arms around her comfortingly. 

Tomorrow. She would call her parents tomorrow. There was no telling how’d they react or even if they would want her back. But Judy would have to let them know. 

The next day Judy woke up beneath Nick’s warm embrace and giggled to his morning look. The fur on his face stuck everywhere and his eyes laid half-open. 

“Morning.” He mumbled groggily. 

“Morning Slick.” She laughed. “ We should probably start heading out soon. It's almost 7:00.” Nick sighed dramatically but begrudgingly got up and left the room. He came back with her phone in hand and stared at Judy expectantly. 

“You should call your parents.” He suggested. She looked at the phone and back at him with a pout and reluctantly grabbed it. Judy dialed her mom’s phone number and waited anxiously as the screen buzzed. Her mother and father appeared on screen from what appeared to be the kitchen. She could see some of her siblings in the background cleaning dishes but what caught her eye was that Jasmine was in the background as well. 

“Oh, sweetheart are you at school already? I was about to check on you but Jasmine said you had already left.” Her mother exclaimed. Judy glanced expectantly at her sister and she winked back before returning to her work in case their mother noticed. 

“U-Uh yeah...I had a meeting I needed to go to.” Judy said while pretending to yawn. 

“Alright then…” Bonnie trailed off as if wanting to say more but hesitated. “Judy...your father and I still wish to talk to you when you get back. Can you come here right when your classes end?” 

She could see Jasmine hovering in the background mouthing, “Say nooo,” but Judy ignored her because of the fact that her mother was looking right at her. She was about to answer when Nick shouted from the other room.

“Carrots are you fine with toast for breakfast? I don’t think we’ll have time to make anything else.” 

Bonnie’s eyes squinted skeptically at Judy and she could feel her nose twitching on screen.

“Who was that?” Her mother questioned. 

“Oh! T-That was...Sharla!” She exclaimed. 

“Sharla? But I thought you were already at school.” Bonnie exclaimed.

“I know I just wanted to visit Sharla to um...drop off some books,” Judy said smiling awkwardly. She would have to work on her lying if she’d ever get into something like this again. 

“That didn’t sound like her though…” Her mother muttered suspiciously. 

“That is because...it was Gareth,” Judy answered timidly.

“Oh, Gareth! Well, I suppose that makes sense.” She laughed. “Can he say hi?” 

“Oh my god look at the time! Mom I’m going to be late for school so I should get going.” Judy exclaimed, turning off the call. 

“Wait-” Bonnie was cut off as Judy hit the button and threw her phone across the bed anxiously. That most likely had to be the most stressful phone call of her life. 

Her hand moved towards her stomach, laying careful on top of the place where her kits were. All this lying for three beautiful miracles. Even if said miracles looked like tiny blobs floating around her womb she still loved them with all her heart. 

Just then, Nick burst into the room with a plate of blueberry jam covered toast and a frantic look on his face. 

“Ok if we eat this in about 5 or 6 minutes we have another 20 to get to the school and-” He stopped noticing Judy’s sorrowful look. He set the plate down on the nightstand and sat down beside her. “Hey...are you alright?” 

She looked up and smiled at him. 

“Yeah...just a little shaken up from last night.” Judy murmured while grabbing a piece of toast. She got off the bed and waited in the doorway for Nick.

“Well? Let’s go, I’m not risking a bad grade because of your lollygagging.” Judy chuckled. He rolled his eyes and stood beside the doe.

“Yeah? Well, I’m not the one planning on going to school in her boyfriend's t-shirt.” Nick said while eyeing her up and down jokingly. She flushed and ran into the bathroom changing out of her sleepwear in a matter of seconds. Judy walked back out, scowling at Nick, and headed out the door with her bag. 

“Make fun of me again Slick, and I name our kids The Three Meerkats.” She said slyly while walking out the door but hearing Nick call out to her.

“Wait is that still an option?!”

* * *

The two pulled up behind the school, Judy hopping out first while allowing Nick to park the car.

“I’ll circle around and leave it near the front. See you later in class Fluff.” He said while leaning out the window. She took the opportunity and kissed him by going on the tips of her legs and grabbing him the muzzle. They stayed like that for a few more seconds until she pulled away and Nick smirked. 

“Just couldn’t resist me can you?” He questioned comically.

“What can I say? You're too adorable in the morning to not get smothered by kisses.” Judy giggled. Nick laughed and drove the car around the corner of the school as she watched him leave. She was about to head inside when hearing two voices arise from behind her.

Thinking fast, Judy slipped into a small area between two perfectly placed bushes so as to not show herself. She didn't know why, but the situation gave her a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. That or she had to throw up. 

Judy arched her ears and listened intently, waiting for them to pass. The two mammals sounded female, but what caught her attention was that she recognized one of the voices.

“Why did you want to bring me out here to talk?” A snobby voice said dramatically. Judy would bet on her own education that the mammal behind that voice was none other than Xena. It was too shrill and annoying to not be. 

“You know why Xena.” Another voice answered, one more smooth and grateful. But thankfully that voice confirmed her suspicions. One of the voices was Xena! The only question is, who was the other one?

They were both females, that's for sure. But Judy had a hard time pinpointing the source of the voice of the other mammal. It was familiar but also distant. As if it were somebody she was acquainted with but also strangers at the same time. 

Judy flattened her ears against her skull, compromising her hearing for a few seconds, and glanced at the encounter happening in front of her eyes. Beside Xena stood Simone. Which only made the sick feeling in her stomach grow even more. 

Why in the world would these two be talking? Two vixens like these only meant trouble for Nick or Judy herself. She continued listening in, hiding her appearance even more behind the bushes out of fear of them discovering her.

“Listen…” Xena began, breaking Judy’s thoughts. “I don’t care what type of relationship you had with Nicky. He's mine now so deal with it!” 

She almost gagged at the mention of his nickname but proceeded to listen to what Simone might say next. Were they about to do a full-on catfight? If so, Judy might risk videotaping the scene out of the hilarious thought of Xena trying to fight.

“Yeah, you might be a little late on that princess.” Simone scoffed. Judy gasped but quickly covered her mouth. She waited a few more seconds and nothing happened, she must have been in the clear. Judy rushed through the possibilities of what Simone meant by that. Could she have actually suspected something from yesterday? But if she did, why hadn't she gone around social media blabbing about it or something. 

I suppose we're about to find out. 

“What do you mean? Is Nick dating someone!?” Xena shrieked. 

“Maybe, are you familiar with Judy Hopps?” Simone questioned. Judy could feel her nose twitching out of control and she almost debated the idea of leaving but decided against it. If these two vixens were about to plan something she would much rather be known of it than find out later. 

“That farmer girl? Um, yeah she’s pretty weird. Thinking she can make it big as a police officer and whatnot. Why are you asking me?” Xena sneered. Judy clenched her fists in anger when hearing that but calmed herself down in order to hear Simone. 

“Let’s just say she and Nick might be-” She was cut short by the loud blaring of the bell indicating the start of the first period. The two girls scurried around the building but before they disappeared Judy was able to hear Simone's last words. 

“I’ll tell you at lunch!” She said, screaming over the bell.” Xena promptly nodded and the two went inside. 

Judy lay still behind the bushes for a few more minutes until composing herself and rushing inside before getting written off as late. But as she walked into her classroom only one thought overcame her mind.

If Xena actually found out about her and Nick, they were doomed. The girl was the school's resident gossip. Anything worth hearing about gets mentioned by her. And a bunny dating her crush definitely sounds worthy enough to Judy! 

She sat uncomfortably in her seat and tuned out the voice of Mrs. Hathrone speaking by the board. If Judy wanted any chance of no one else finding out about her secret she’d have to stop those two from the meeting. 

Judy glanced at the clock above the classroom’s door and watched the fast red line tick around. It read 8:00. That meant she had at least 4 hours to prepare. 

She rather let Dawn win as Student Council President then let Xena own an edge on her. And Judy would do anything to prevent that from happening.

* * *

As lunch drew closer she waited expectantly by the staircases inside the musty bathrooms. The scene was familiar to her so Judy knew exactly where she could hide and when. Simone had Gym which was right across the staircases and Xena had Choir which was upstairs. The perfect place for those two to meet would be right there. 

Judy waited in the room, listening as the bustle of her classmates walked by and she prayed no one planned on using the bathroom before lunch. Otherwise, that’d put her in an awkward situation. 

Unfortunately, as if some unknown forces were planning on making her day even worse, the door swung open causing Judy to flinch backward. Nick walked in, closing the door behind him instantly. She let out a long sigh of relief when seeing him and not anybody else from her grade. 

“Oh thank goodness,” Judy muttered while walking up to Nick.

“Hey Carrots, you good? Didn’t run into any of your sisters?” He asked. She smiled and shook her head. Judy expected Jasmine to run up to her during their classes together but the two never found the right opportunity. 

“But we need to wait here for a few more minutes.” She exclaimed, pulling him aside. 

“Jeez if I’d known you didn't want to see your family this much I would’ve grabbed us some lunch before coming here.” Nick laughed.

“That's not the reason. But while we're on the topic why did you come here?” Judy asked, interested. 

“Why else Carrots? To look at my beautiful self in the mirror.” He joked while posing. Judy rolled her eyes playfully at her boyfriend but leaned her ears against the door. She cracked it open, poking her head out to make sure none of her classmates still loitered the halls. Nick came from behind her, pushing apart her ears in order to place his head on top of hers.

“Are we staking out nefarious deeds?” He whispered. Judy giggled and continued looking around while quietly mumbling. 

“Let's just say one or more vixens may know about our relationship.” 

“Wait what?” Nick exclaimed. 

“Shhh!” Judy hissed while stepping out of the doorway so she could get a better look around. She looked left, right, and up the staircases. Nothing. There was no sign of her classmates anywhere. And it was already well into lunch so the only thing that could mean was that Simone and Xena weren’t planning on meeting up here. 

Dang, it. 

Judy kicked the wall irritated and slumped against it afterward. 

“It's Simone isn't it?” Nick asked, breaking the silence. 

“Yeah…” She mumbled sadly. “And Xena too. Also maybe Dawn.”

“What? How in the world did Dawn find out.” He exclaimed sitting beside her.

“She volunteered at the clinic and saw my test results,” Judy responded. 

“Judy that's illegal! We have to tell someone.” Nick persisted.

“And let everyone else get involved? Nick if more people find out then it will lead to the city I’m sure of it! Xena’s a popular gossip on social media so how do you know the college scouts won’t find out about it too!” She sighed exasperatedly. 

“Hey.” He started, turning her chin to look at him. “If anyone else tries to blackmail you, tell me and I’ll beat them up.” Judy laughed and moved closer to him.

“Are you really willing to beat up Dawn?” She inquired. 

“Not really but if she tries to use this against you she’d better learn to use those hooves to defend herself.” Nick laughed putting up both of his paws in a battle stance. She giggled and intertwined her paw in his. 

He placed a caring kiss on her lips and she melted into the feeling sitting there alongside him for a few more minutes. Judy could feel the worrying feeling in her stomach fade away and she knew that with Nick beside her maybe there was a chance to beat this. 

To get back at Dawn and Simone and everyone else doubting her because of the pregnancy or relationship with Nick. She could get through this, hopefully. 

The two remained in each other loving embrace, tuning out the world around them. But doing so made it possible for the suspicious figure hiding in the empty classroom in front of them capable of taking a picture. 

“Click”

Judy shot up her ear in fear and pulled herself away from Nick, he groaned in response.

“Quiet I heard something.” She demanded while looking around. There was no one there. At least, that's what she believed. Judy shrugged and got off the ground with Nick.

“Come on,” She said, dusting off her skirt. “We should head to lunch before Sharla thinks I got kidnapped.” The two walked in the direction of the cafeteria, not noticed the classroom door open allowing the mammal spying on them to walk out. 

Judy was right, she could get through this with Nick. But she would never be able to get through what was about to come. 

Not if others had anything to say about it. 

**To Be Continued…(End of Dinner Arc) :3**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY Part 2 of the Dinner Arc: Chapter 9 is out!
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy reading this and I am so sorry to have uploaded it later than my normal schedule. It was because of Halloween happening and I had set up plans with a friend. 
> 
> Normally, I planned on uploading yesterday before midnight but didn't have the chance too. 
> 
> So I apologize to keep you guys waiting but I promise the next chapter (Chapter 10) will be coming out soon. 
> 
> It will be my first official milestone for the first 10 chapters and I'm so excited! Thank you to all the readers and supporters that have stuck through with me so far.
> 
> You guys are all amazing so let's toast to another 10 chapters from here on out!
> 
> Till next time! And Happy Late Halloween! >:3


	10. Chapter 10 : A Stressed Out Bunny

**Chapter 10: A Stressed Out Bunny**

* * *

Judy and Nick walked into the bustling cafeteria, parting ways as soon as they entered in order to not draw any suspicion. Having two of the most devious mammals in school know about their secret was frightening enough. Especially when hiding the fact that she was pregnant as well. If both secrets got out, there’s no telling what would happen to their reputation in BunnyBurrow. Or Willowbrook for that matter.

Judy made a beeline to Sharla once seeing her standing in line.

“Judy! Here I save you a spot.” The ewe smiled while referring to the empty area behind her. The doe happily walked up to her friend and promptly grabbed a tray from the large piles beside them. 

The lines moved fast and the mammals behind Judy kept pushing and shoving their way through it. She stepped carefully as her classmates continued their chaos, while also eyeing the lunch items of the day. 

Normally, Judy would go for her usual. Some sliced up pears and a bowl of basil and oregano on the side. Maybe something sweet here and there, depending on how she was feeling. But with all the new-found pregnancy cravings Judy has found herself trying a variety of different unusual foods and enjoying them. So today she felt adventurous and grabbed some bell peppers with a pairing of honeysuckles. 

Sharla eyed her plate skeptically as they sat down at their table.

“Since when did you start eating bell peppers?” She asked, confused. Judy’s nose twitched in fear for a split second but she quickly played it off as a bad smell before her friend noticed. 

“I don’t know! Maybe a while now…” She mumbled, not exactly wanting to full-on lie to her best friend. 

“Ughh I hate that we haven’t had time to talk to each other lately!” Sharla whined, plopping her head against the table sadly. 

“What are you talking about? We spoke last week.” Judy exclaimed.

“Yeah, only before you left for the long weekend! Speaking of which, how did it go? You still haven’t told me anything about the big city!” She pressed intrigued. 

“Well..it was nice,” Judy responded. 

“Nice? Just that! Judy, you went to Zootopia! Your dream city! It's the only place in the world you’ve ever wanted to see and all you can say is _nice_!” Her friend proclaimed. 

“It was great! Is that what you want me to say?” She sighed. 

“Judy...is everything alright?” Sharla asked, surprised by her outburst. She looked at her tiredly but composed herself before giving anything away. 

“Yeah, yeah...I’m just...a bit nervous with my campaign and everything.” Judy mumbled in an attempt to play off her nervous behavior. 

“Oh! Well, why didn’t you say so? I’m always here to help you girl!” Sharla reassured. “But why haven’t you even begun to spread the word yet? Dawn and Neve have already put up posters…” 

Judy had noticed this earlier in the day when walking into the school. Almost every single hallway was plastered from top to bottom in big bright posters either saying 

**What do you want? Neve for Student Council President! When do you want it? Now!**

Or

**Forget the rest. Vote for the best! Dawn Bellwether for your next Student Council President!**

She had to admit to herself that they both really stepped up their game. Judy saw Neve canvassing around the school and giving out tiny ribbons with her name on them. Whilst on Dawn’s side, she preferred to put on an angelic appearance in front of the teachers. But once she was alone she decided to go full-on maniac, sending her Prey Posse, (a group consisting of her prey classmates dedicating their time and resources to Dawn AKA their _leader_ ), out to secure more votes through blackmailing and even more evil acts. 

Judy’s initial plan was to focus her time on the minorities of her school, mammals being misunderstood or blamed for the wrong thing due to their species. She had gotten the idea from Jack after one of their lengthy conversations after their dinner together. Judy thought it would be nice to keep in touch, to have a friend in the city to lean on and what-not. So after many calls and messaging he’d suggested Judy focus her campaign on those who aren’t heard, the mammals who need to be focused on in the first place. 

Unfortunately, due to Dawn and her upper hand on the doe, she hadn’t been able to do anything of the sort. 

Just then, Bellwether walked into the cafeteria stepping onto a small wooden platform her Prey Posse had set up for her. Everyone looked at the ewe expectantly, interested or afraid of what she was about to do next. Someone from her group of “supporters” put up a tall enough microphone right in front of her. Dawn turned on the microphone only to send out an ear-piercing shriek through the speakers beside her. The animals in the room covered their ears instantly and she quickly fixed the problem by making one of the mammals in the P.P do it for her. 

The sound terminated shortly after and a flustered Dawn cleared her throat, addressing everyone in the cafeteria with a bright and oddly white smile. 

“Good afternoon everyone!” Her voice echoed throughout the building and Judy felt pressured to pay attention.

“Just giving everyone a friendly reminder that the big presidential debate will be held next week in the auditorium early in the morning on Friday! So don’t forget and _don’t_ be late!” Dawn quirked while sending a suffocating stare as if forcing them to abide by her warning. She promptly got off the stand and walked back into the hallway with the rest of her group.

The room was left still for a few more seconds until bursting into an explosion of murmurs and whispers amongst classmates. Judy gulped in fear listening to those around their table, her name floated around from one mammal to the other.

_“Dawn’s so scary when she’s pretending to be nice…”_

_“Who do guys think is going to win? I bet it’ll be Neve”_

_“I thought Judy was also campaigning?”_ All the voices around her whispered her name. 

_Judy…_

_Judy…_

“JUDY!” 

She broke off from her trance surprised and looked up to see Jasmine standing by the table with an annoyed look on her face.

“Oh! U-Um, w-what?” Judy stuttered, confused, and still slightly dazed.

“I’ve been calling your name for 5 minutes now! Come on, I have to talk to you!” Jasmine urged. She looked hesitantly at Sharla but she nodded encouragingly. 

“Go, it's fine! We can start talking about your debate strategy later.” Her friend said, smiling. 

“Y-Yeah...later.” Judy chuckled awkwardly and followed her sister out of the cafeteria reluctantly. But as they both left the room only one thought clouded her mind.

How in the world would she get past Dawn without risking herself and Nick in the process?

The answer is...she wouldn’t.

* * *

When the two left the cafeteria and entered the now empty hallways Judy looked at her sister in anticipation, wondering if what she had to speak to her about was due to the events from last night. 

“So? What happened after I left?” Judy questioned immediately. Jasmine looked askance rubbing her neck.

“Well…” She replied, trailing off. “It wasn’t _that_ good…”

“Oh my god, I knew it! Did someone already suspect something?” She asked fearfully, already thinking back to the phone call with her mother that morning.

“No! Not yet at least...Julie’s grounded.” Jasmine sighed leaning against a nearby locker.

“Oh...that's fair I guess,” Judy mumbled. In her opinion, that backstabbing sister of hers should have been more than grounded. She should have been exposed some more at least. But the thought of Julie having her secrets exposed by herself as well confused Judy’s thoughts. 

Would she be just as bad as Bellwether if she’d done it?

She wouldn’t wish the worst for her sister, even after last night's dinner. Yet the idea of making Julie feel the same way she did made her feel conflicted. As if Judy wanted the worst and best for her at the same time. 

Why does drama within your family always have to be the worst?

“What should I do?” Jasmine said breaking her train of thought.

“Hmm? About what?” Judy answered confused. 

“When I go home after school.” She explained. “Should I just tell mom and dad you're staying here late for a project or went to Sharla? Anything else besides running away with your boyfriend really.”

“I don’t know…” Judy groaned in response. “Maybe I can just turn off my phone and ignore them.”

“Judy you know you can’t do that! I know what they said and did was unforgivable. Crazy even! But you can’t disappear off the face of the world without giving them any information.” Jasmine scolded.

“You saw what they said to me! The things they suggested.” She cried slumping against the lockers beside her.

“I know...it wasn’t right. What dad tried to make you do...but is it really better if you ignore them forever?” Her sister inquired.

“Sure feels like it,” Judy said, rolling her eyes. 

“How about this…” Jasmine began. “I can tell mom and dad that there has been a slight mix-up today and you have to stay after school to help set up for the debate or whatever. That way if they get mad they won’t be able to do anything about it because you're not there.” She finished with a smile.

“Yeah, that sounds like a great idea!” Judy chuckled sarcastically. “How do you expect me to avoid them when they’ll expect me home before curfew!?” 

“It was only a suggestion,” Jasmine exclaimed, putting her paws up. Judy sighed and looked at her sister apologetically.

“I know...you're just trying to help. Do you think if you said that I spent the night at Sharla’s studying they’d believe it?” She asked. 

“I suppose so. They’d be mad at first for you blowing them off but I guess they’d get over it by tomorrow.” Jasmine stated.

“And then what? I keep lying?” Judy mumbled sorrowly, thinking about the future. 

“Let’s just focus on today and figure out the rest from there. Ok?” Her sister said caringly. 

“Ok…” She responded. Jasmine got off the lockers and lent her hand out to Judy.

“Come on, your boyfriend’s probably looking for you.” Judy looked up at her sister and giggled rolling her eyes yet again. The two walked back down the hallway and she could feel the stress fade away from her body. 

Who knows? Maybe with Jasmine helping her, Judy could somehow stall enough to figure the right time to tell her parents. That she wasn’t getting an abortion even if it meant having to leave them all behind. 

* * *

Throughout the rest of the day, the only thing spreading from classroom to classroom was the anticipation of next week’s debate. And a few breakups here and there. Of course, those only started surfacing due to *Cough* Sluty *Cough* Simone. But saying that could compare badly with Judy’s campaign. That is if she still even had one.

After lunch, she decided it would be better to speak with Dawn herself. Maybe because she felt newfound confidence surging through her. Judy thought that maybe she would be able to find a way around her blackmailing. She could threaten to expose her to the police or plead and beg. Whatever left Judy with a slight chance of even campaigning at all. 

She thought the best time to speak with Dawn would be during their independent study together. Because thankfully, it was the one class Judy knew her Prey Posse wouldn’t be in alongside her. Unfortunately, she wouldn’t have that class until the very end of the day so she had to push through the others while waiting for it to come. 

Her English and Math classes were uneventful. Just everyday equations and essays. With the exception of a few stolen glances from Nick as well. But she still had just one more class until the independent study. However, with Judy’s luck that day, her second to last class just happened to be theater.

So in honesty, her day hadn’t been going that great. And now Judy had to deal with one more hour alongside two people she despised very much. 

Xena and Slu-Simone…

Oh yeah! Since Simone’s unfortunate transfer a few weeks ago the vixen had decided to be placed inside the theater class with her and Nick. She also decided to pick every other class with Nick as well. Which only made both of them even more irritated with her. 

Judy walked into the auditorium, already seeing the three podiums begun to be set up by some maintenance workers. The day was approaching fast even if Judy didn’t want it to happen. But if the debate was just between her and Neve she wouldn’t have been worried.

Neve had always been sweet and accepting. Even if some mammals in the school still kept her at a reasonable distance due to her heritage. 

An arctic fox…

It wasn’t common to meet any of them but her family had decided to move to BunnyBurrow a while ago due to her father's promotion or something. Yet everyone continued to act skeptical. Foxes have always had a bad rep, so why not keep implementing it.

The idea of that sent Judy’s nose on a twitching rampage but she calmed down once seeing Nick. Only to get racked up again when seeing Jackie alongside him. Her ears flared up in surprise and she ducked down behind one of the long rows of seats in the room. 

Judy, however, still kept her ears perked up in order to hear what her sister had to say. Last night's dinner played through her mind, and she distinctly remembered Jackie being confused about the whole ordeal. In the litter, she had been the youngest right after Jeanette. But Jackie always refrained from coming off as an airhead or dim-witted.

Everyone may assume bunnies to be dumb and frail. But they were actually quite good at multiplying. **(Not that way you pervs)**

Judy cowered behind the seats anxiously. The thought of seeing Jack after everything from last night felt awkward. Stressful even! She hid there for a few more seconds until someone called out her name. 

“Judy? What are you doing crouching by the seats?” 

She looked up to see Simone and Xena standing side by side like a pair of partners ready to hurt anyone in their way. The two stood tall and menacing and Judy just wanted for the ground to swallow her right now. She stood up nervously and glanced across the room, Jackie and Nick were looking at her as well. 

“U-Um, I-I was just…” Judy’s mind blanked from trying to think up a good excuse. But everyone was looking at her! She could feel the twitching come back and her ears flicking back and forth from both pairs. Finally, Judy thought of a lie that seemed believable enough for no one to suspect her. 

“I dropped my pen! And I was just um...trying to find it?” She explained somewhat convincingly. 

“Oh! Well, let us help you.” Simone suggested deviously, all while keeping the world's most innocent smile. Judy glanced at Nick in fear and he shook his head in protest but she knew she had to agree. Both of these girls knew her secret. At least, she thought they did. The entire ordeal might be another evil plan to get Nick back together with one of them. Judy just didn't know who would try to get him alone in the end. 

Simone and Xena crouched on either side of her and she never knew that two female foxes could be so threatening. Maybe it was their confidence or feminine ways. Foxes have always been beautiful mammals while rabbits were always represented as cute and approachable. Judy hated this kind of misrepresentation towards animals but there wasn’t anything she could do about it at the moment. 

Because now, she had to deal with two sneaky vixens who weren’t about to let her win. 

“So...what's been going on between you and your siblings?” Xena asked out of the blue.

“W-What!?” Judy exclaimed, confused. 

“Oh well, Simone and I noticed that there was some tension between you guys today and we were worried.” She said sympathetically, putting a paw on her shoulder. Judy flinched at the sudden movement by her classmate and glanced at Xena suspiciously. 

Never, in the entire time had she known that fox for her to give a shit about her family life. Even in her own words, Judy wasn’t anything more than some weird farmer girl. That only meant one thing, Simone spilled the beans about her and Nick. 

Sweet cheese and crackers could this day get any worse?!

* * *

After the entire oh-I-dropped-my-pen scene the rest of the theater students made their way in the room and sat respectively spaced out in the rows of seats. 

Judy ended up choosing a seat that was far away from Xena and Simone but also conveniently a few seats in front of Nick. That didn’t stop the two girls from glazing at her almost every 5 minutes then proceeding to whisper to each other warily. And since Judy wasn’t close enough to hear them she had no idea what they were talking about. 

Various ways to embarrass her.

Planning a grand event where they ridicule and humiliate Judy by exposing her secret.

Or even just messing with her by pretending to whisper with each other.

Judy’s mind ached at the millions of different possibilities and she tried her hardest to focus on what her drama teacher was trying to say. To possibly ease her mind or whatever. 

“Alright class, with the big debate happening next week we’ll have to give up our stage space for a few days.” Mrs. Sanchez sighed. Some students around her collectively groaned and whined.

“Can’t they had the debate in the gym?” One voice shouted 

“Or just not have one at all?!” Another exclaimed back. More of her classmates laughed at the outburst until Mrs. Sanchez scolded them.

“That's enough now! We’ve always held the Student Council debates in the auditorium so you're all going to have to deal with it.” She chastised. “And instead of complaining, you should all be congratulating Miss Hopps on applying as one of the candidates!”

Everyone turned their heads to face Judy and she fumbled with her skirt nervously. 

“H-Heh...Thanks, Mrs. Sanchez.” She laughed awkwardly. Out of her eye, she could see Nick give a small thumbs up in support and it helped make Judy feel less anxious. She smiled at him before breaking eye contact in case of anyone else looking at the two of them. Specifically, the two vixens who were most likely planning her funeral that very second.

Judy returned her attention to the front of the room where Mr.s Sanchez continued her speech.

“Anyway, I hope you’ve all been reading the script suggestions I’ve assigned because today we’re going to go over some of the scenes!” She said happily. 

Judy sank into her seat groaning. This was exactly the fact why she had hated theater in the first place. Actually going up and doing some ridiculous scene terrified her! Sure, Judy had her own fair share of public speaking through Student Council and Debate but this was different! 

This was theater. And in theater, anyone could be anything. Yet that scared her the most. She thrived on equality and diversity among species. Always believing that she could be more than some carrot farmer. But going up on stage and physically speaking about it made her want to barf. And not in a pregnancy-related way. 

Judy could feel herself going lightheaded and she reached a paw towards her forward in discomfort. All of this stress was becoming too much for her. 

Miss Sanchez walked up to her fold up desk and picked up a cup of various popsicle sticks with each student's names on them. Her paw rummaged through the can and Judy felt the suspense in the room grew larger and quicker each second her paw spent in that cup. She fumbled around the sticks for a few more seconds until finally picking one out causing Judy’s heart to miss a beat.

“Our first mammal participating will be Simone!” Mrs. Sanchez revealed enthusiastically. Simone gracefully walked to the front of the room and stood next to her poised and perfect. Judy gagged at the sight but promptly focused on the fact that she thankfully hadn’t gotten her name picked. Unfortunately, that still left the chance for it to happen next. 

“And her partner for the scene will be...Nick!” Mrs. Sanchez added. 

Judy let out a sigh of relief but it quickly replaced with a surging feeling of jealousy seeing Simone bat her flirtatious eyelashes at her boyfriend. Part of her was ecstatic to not be the first mammal to go up and perform a scene alongside Simone. But the other part of her just wanted to slap that snobby vixen in the muzzle for thinking that she still had a chance with Nick. 

The two had to perform a romance scene from one of the previous plays they had read and Judy could swear she saw red. It wasn’t anything provocative enough for her to get out of her seat and go full-on savage on Simone. But it was still irritable enough that she wanted no part in watching it. Nick, being the amazing boyfriend he was, acted distant to her and intentionally sabotaged the entire thing by “forgetting” his lines. 

Judy saw that halfway through the scene Jackie had sent multiple looks of sympathy her way.

Now she pitied her? Wow...was everyone in her family a hypocrite? Had it become a genetic thing. Acting as they cared at first, then backstabbing her, only to act as they care again. It was just one big endless cycle of lies. And for the first time since the dinner yesterday, Judy felt happy about her decision to leave. 

The rest of her classmates had gotten their names called as well, each one going in front of the group to perform some random scene from the piles of scripts on Mrs. Sanchez’s desk. Judy still hadn't been called and it only eased and confused her mind. 

She glanced at the clock anxiously, wishing the class would end already when her name was called out. 

“And Judy will be acting alongside Bobby!” Mrs. Sanchez proclaimed. Her head swung around so fast she could've twisted it clear of right there. She begrudgingly walked up to the front of the room and stood next to Bobby awkwardly. 

Mrs. Sanchez gave them two scripts with one of the pages marked near the middle. 

“You two will be acting out the climax scene of The Secret where Caitlyn, Judy, had just found out what her best friend Zach, Bobby, was hiding from her.” She explained sitting in the front row in order to take notes. The scene itself would be ironic really if the roles of Zach and Caitlyn were played by herself and Jackie. Now _that_ would be dramatic. 

Judy walked over to her starting spot, still fidgeting with just about anything she could get her hands on. 

The funny story from this is that Judy had once acted in front of an audience before. Long ago, when she was just in elementary. A small bunny with a big dream. A dream to become something more than a farmer. She performed during the town's annual Carrot Days Fair where she acted out a student-written scene describing the amazing city of Zootopia. 

It was cute, maybe a little embarrassing thinking about it now, but after that day Judy never performed again. It wasn’t because people made fun of her at school or the fact that she was afraid of being humiliated again. But it was because after the fair her parents sat down and talked with her about how it would be “impractical” to move to the city. They continued on with their lecture, saying things like, It's dangerous, you should stick to what you're good at, carrot farming’s safe! 

Judy lied to her parents for the first time that night, pretending to agree to their terms. But in reality, she ignored them and proceeded to follow her dream. Only in secret now, of course. 

I guess it just goes to show her parents have always been trying to make Judy do things she never wanted to. She just tried spending years telling herself they weren’t. 

Judy felt the feeling of lightheadedness come back to her and she spaced out while waiting for Bobby to finish his line

“I’m sorry ok. But did you really expect to sit ideally by and let it all happen?” He said, already getting into character. Bobby had always been a great actor, Judy had seen almost all of his shows and he managed to get really good parts for all of them. 

She, on the other hand, was mediocre at best. And with the growing feeling of stress in her entire body, Judy couldn’t seem to focus on the words of the page. Thankfully, she had known this scene, almost memorized the entirety of it. Because even if she hated theater with almost as much passion as she did Simone and her family she still put the effort where it counts for her assignments. 

“So you decided to do this? Zach...after everything we’ve been through, the people you’ve pushed away because of this, do you really think it's your best option to keep it all up?” Judy recited dramatically. Surprisingly, a dramatic scene was just her style since her life right now was one big jumble of them anyway. 

“Well what would you have done?!” Bobby screamed as it says in the book. “How do you expect me to believe that you wouldn't have done the same thing. That if you were in my shoes nothing would have been done differently. Tell me, Caitlyn, are you criticizing me for my choices only because your hiding from your own ”

Judy was about to say her next line when she was overcome with excruciating pain from her lower abdomen. She doubled over in discomfort, clutching her sides. 

“Oh god, Judy are you ok?” Bobby exclaimed, breaking from his character.

The pain grew and she could feel the room spinning before her. Everything hurt, every single aspect of her body was in dreadful agony. Judy’s head span with the room and the next thing she knew was her body falling onto the floor and her eyes slowly closing. The only thing she saw was the room blinding out and the multitude of voices around her. 

From there, she blacked out. 

Judy awoke to a bright enough light that she had to shield her eyes when she opened them. She groaned tiredly and looked around from where she was. Judy wasn’t in the theater building, but she wasn’t even in the school either. 

She recognized the room from the last time she was there weeks ago. Judy was at the medical clinic. But why? Surely she would have been taken to nurse. It was only a blackout after all.

Unless someone had been worried for her...someone like Nick.

Her question was immediately answered when Nick then walked into the room with two water bottles in his paws. He promptly dropped them when seeing Judy awake and well and rushed instantly to her side.

“Oh my god, Judy! Are you alright?” Nick exclaimed frantically. 

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” Judy asked.

“Because you blacked out in the middle of class Carrots! You can’t expect me not to be worried.” He cried. 

“But I’m fine.” She repeated. “Seriously can we just go back to school now?” Just then, Karla walked into the room, stepping over the fallen water bottles and breaking into an angry rant. 

“You are not going anywhere until we find out what happened,” Karla stated while placing pictures on the board beside her. The pictures were of her ultrasounds, but these were slightly different. 

The three amigos, Nick's name for the kits, have gotten a tiny bit bigger and their heartbeat was more visible on the paper. They must have gotten taken when Judy was still unconscious. 

“They all look fine, for now. Virginia says they look healthy as well but she’s agreed with me that the reason behind this was due to your growing stress levels Judy.” Karla explained.

“What!” Judy exclaimed. “I’ve always been stressed since finding out about the kits so why would I pass out now?”

“It's possible you could be adding to your stress due to the pregnancy. Has anything else out of the ordinary happened that might contribute?” She asked. 

Judy thought long and hard about every single stressful event that has happened to her the last month. Strangely enough, there were more than a few. 

1\. Finding out she was pregnant

2\. Telling her parents she was dating Nick

3\. Dawn discovering her secret then using it to blackmail her

4\. Simone arriving at BunnyBurrow

5\. Finding out she’s eating for four now

6\. Meeting Nick’s family

7\. The dinner…

8\. Julie breaking her trust

9\. Her father breaking her trust

10\. And last but not least, running away from home to live with her boyfriend. 

“Maybe some things here and there…” Judy mumbled.

“Ok, that's it. I’m putting you on strict bed rest until you can learn to calm yourself down.” Karla demanded. 

“B-But-” Judy stuttered but was cut off by Nick.

“Now Fluff you can’t go against your doctor's orders. And if you keep getting worked up something could happen to the babies or you.” He said with a sincere look in his eyes. 

Judy looked up to him to retaliate but knew that if she kept overexerting herself like this something _could_ happen to the babies. And that was the last thing they wanted to happen. 

“Fine…” She grumbled reluctantly. 

“Good, now you are to stay home for the next 5 days so you can get some relaxation in you before potentially hurting yourself and my future god-children.” Karla wrote down a small note saying, Stay home for 5 days or else, and gave Judy a tight hug before leaving the room to return to her other patients. 

Judy got off the bed and leaned against Nick's arm while walking out of the clinic. While leaving she managed to get one look at the clock above the secretaries desk and much to her demise it read 4:15. Unfortunately meaning that the independent study ended a while ago and Dawn most likely wasn’t even there. 

Judy sighed in defeat while getting into Nick’s car, thinking that she had failed her plan and would never get the chance to talk to Dawn before the debate in order to salvage her campaign. 

But then something dawned on her **(Pun not intended)** , she would go back to her daily workload after 5 days. Which meant that she wouldn't be able to head back to school until Monday, the day of the debate. 

With such little time, her possibility of even making a campaign sounded impossible. Yet somehow Sharla’s words from today played themselves through her mind. She would help figure out their strategy...together.

Judy got an idea. A really foolish and impulsive idea. But if everything went well and she went back to school on Monday as planned. Then she might just be able to beat Bellwether for Student Council President after all. 

Lookout Dawn, because Judy was about to fight fire with fire. 

**To be continued…**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god, it's finally here...My 10th chapter!!!!
> 
> WOO! Everyone brings out the party favors and cafe because it's the first 10 completed chapters of the story! 
> 
> And I'm still not done!! T-T
> 
> Oh well, I guess this fanfic is my life and soul now :p
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, be prepared for many more to come, and any suggestions are extremely recommended!
> 
> I love every single one of you guys!!!! See you in the next one! :3


	11. Chapter 11 : Battles Won And Battles Lost

**Chapter 11: Battles Won And Battles Lost**

* * *

Because of Nick and Karla’s mutual agreement that Judy should remain on strict bed rest she was forced to spend the next five days at his apartment. At least she wasn’t still at home with her family. Spending five days with them would be the absolute worst. But besides that, being forced to stay away from school only made Judy feel even more anxious. And it wasn’t like Nick could be there to comfort her since he was also a teenager who needed an education.

Judy had forgotten about that, that they were both teenagers. With everything that has happened since the start of her school year she still had a hard time grasping at the entire idea. Like her father had said, they were both still just a pair of kids. Could they really take care of three kits? 

Her mind wandered to Nick. And how he had already done so much. It wasn’t strange he wanted to help. Foxes mate for life, so the male would always do whatever he could. But would Nick really want to keep Judy on as his? 

The question overpowered her. She was only 16! Yet they were already preparing to start a family. But was there an actual chance they could do it? Nick had his family on their side, Judy had Jasmine and Karla. Not to mention Sharla. 

Oh god, Sharla…

Judy had already revealed the pregnancy too so many mammals but the only one, besides her parents, that really mattered was her! Maybe she could talk about it to her during the preparations for her campaign. If she still even had one…

When Nick finally went back to school and left Judy to take care of herself she decided it would be good to pass the time by exploring his apartment. It wasn’t big, still, it was larger than her bedroom so she couldn’t have much of an opinion. Aside from the living room and kitchen, Judy looked around his bedroom once more. 

She hadn’t really had a chance to look around since this morning, where she was forced to lie to her parents yet again. It was near the same size as her own. Slightly bigger due to his size. But Judy still liked it, because it felt like him. 

There were a lot of pictures plastered across the walls with her and Nick, some with his old friends back in Zootopia, and of course, his family. Judy focused more on the pictures from his old school days. Before he had broken up with Simone and met her. 

She glanced at the photos skeptically. Could one of them have his best friend in them? The very one Simone had cheated on him with. Her ears drooped worriedly. Should Judy really be snooping around his room in hopes of seeing the picture? If he still even kept one, that is…

She stomped her foot out of frustration. At this rate, Judy would never learn to calm down. Not when her mind was filled to the brim with Simone and her cheating, lying self. How could she do that to him! No wonder he had been so suspicious of Judy when they first met. Nick didn’t even consider asking her out until three months after their first encounter in the woods. And even after that he somewhat kept his distance. 

That vixen ruined him. And Judy would be darned if she let her try to ruin them now. She still wasn’t sure if Xena found out about the two of them as well. Or if she and Simone were hiding it for a reason. Who knows what that could be…

Judy sighed exasperatedly, maybe taking a walk might help clear her mind. However, only a brisk one, she was still on bed rest after all. Judy walked out of the apartment with her phone on hand in case something happened and she needed to call Nick. Just as a precaution of course.

The hallways of the Jackrabbit Apartment Complex were still quiet. It was only 10:00 am on a Thursday so Judy assumed the residents must have been away at their jobs or something like that. Thankfully, this helped ease her mind. If someone were to walk out and see Judy hovering in front of Nick’s door the rumors would spread and fast. 

If her math was right, only around 20 mammals knew about their relationship. Themselves included. And Judy was about to inform Sharla on the matter as well so that made 21. Oh god...21 mammals. The news of all this was widening too fast for Judy’s taste. And if she actually went through her plan, the one she had thought about yesterday after leaving the clinic, then that number would only grow. 

Groaning, Judy laid her head against the wall in agony. Even when she wasn’t at school experiencing a busload of stress she still had it by herself! Suddenly, her phone rang, causing Judy to lift her head and check who would be calling her when almost everyone she knew was in school right now. 

“Hello?” She said confused, listening intently to see who the mammal on the other side was. 

“Judy! Oh my god!” Jasmine's voice shrieked loudly and she flinched at her sister's outburst. 

“Jasmine? Why are you calling me? Aren’t you in English?” Judy asked, remembering her schedule. 

“Yeah but I slipped away because I had to call you!” She exclaimed.

“Why, is something wrong with mom and dad? Did they find out already?!” Judy feared. 

“No, it's all fine back home. I just make sure no one’s walking past your room and when mom tries sending you down food I’ll pretend you're studying so I could bring it for you instead.” Jasmine reassured. 

“Oh thank goodness...but if everything's fine, why are you calling?” She questioned, repeating. 

“Because I found out what happened and I’ve been trying to find time to call you all day!” Jasmine stated infuriatingly. 

“Ohhhh...w-well, I’m fine now,” Judy mumbled.

“FINE?!” She shrieked, causing Judy to flinch her ears _again_. “You fainted in the middle of class! Judith Laverne Hopps, you are absolutely not fine.”

“Aw stop it you sound like mom.” She groaned.

“Well, I’m going to have to act like her if you're pulling stuff like this!” Jasmine scoffed. 

“I didn’t pull anything! My body just didn’t respond well to so much stress.” Judy shrugged.

“No. Nuh-uh. I am coming there at lunch and you're going to explain what happened to me.” She demanded. 

“What! N-No it's fine, I’m fine. Really.” Judy said in hopes of changing her mind. 

“Too late. I have to get back to class now but I’ll call you again in two hours before I’m there. And get some rest!” Jasmine asserted, ending the call. The screen went black and Judy was left alone with her reflection and the empty hallways she was still standing in. Groaning, she turned around and walked back in the direction of the apartment. 

If her sister was coming to interrogate her Judy should at least make the place look presentable. A disorganized apartment never made the best first impression.

* * *

When Judy finally managed to make Nick’s apartment look better she looked around to see her work. In reality, she hadn’t changed much. The apartment looked fine by itself but Judy felt the need to make it look better. So maybe that way she could prove to Jasmine, and herself, that she was capable of living with Nick. How could they start a family otherwise? 

It was finally 12:15 when Jasmine arrived. However, she wasn’t alone.

“Nick! What are you doing here?” Judy exclaimed after opening the door and seeing her boyfriend alongside her sister. 

“I wanted to check in on you. Make sure you didn't burn down the apartment.” He smirked. She rolled his eyes at him and led Jasmine inside towards the living room.

The two siblings sat beside each other on the cheap couch silently. Judy kept glancing around the room in hopes of avoiding Jasmines accusing stare. She had always been cautious of Judy when they were young, feeling the need to take care of her younger sisters. But even now, when the two were teenagers, Jasmine did whatever she could to look out for her. 

“Out with it. Now.” She said badgering Judy. 

“With what? I don’t even know where to begin!” Judy argued. 

“Maybe with the fact that Dawn has been blackmailing you for the last three weeks,” Jasmine exclaimed. Shocked, Judy looked at Nick questioningly. 

“We might have talked about it in the car…” He shrugged hesitantly. Judy sighed and looked at him sympathetically.

“No, it's fine...you guys are just looking out for me.” She smiled. 

“Exactly. And, I still don’t see why you chose that type of car Nick!? You could reach so much more mileage with a Mustang.” Jasmine scoffed, interrupting. She beamed at the two. It seems Jasmine was truly hitting it off with Nick. And, at least that made everything feel a bit happier. 

“I still can’t believe Dawn though…” Jasmine said breaking her thoughts. “How could she go behind your back, look at your medical records, which is illegal, and then hold it over you?!”

“She used it so she could win the campaign for Student Council President…” Judy muttered in response.

“Ugh, I can’t believe her! Why does Dawn have to be jealous of you only because she knows she won’t win!” Jasmine whined. 

“Jasmine seriously, I’m fine. I mean, if I just listen to her at least no one else will find out about this. Right?” Judy sighed. 

“I call bull!” She yelled in response. “Dawn does not have the right to treat you like that. And we are going to do something about it!” Jasmine blurted angrily. She stared at her sister in slight awe until realizing that she already had a plan of her own. But the only way it would work was if it stayed between as minimal mammals as possible. 

“No. I’m serious, it’s fine. And I really need to calm myself before going on yet another huge argument.” Judy said, trying to get her sister to drop the topic. Jasmine grumbled childishly but nodded. 

“Fine…But besides that, I don’t have a chance of keeping this from mom and dad any longer if we don’t want you getting any more freaked out.” She explained.

“I agree. And if we keep this any longer the more your parents will disapprove from us.” Nick said sitting across from them. 

“B-But they told me to get an abortion! W-What if t-they try to keep me away from Nick and make me do it then?!” Judy exclaimed feeling her heart rate quicken.

“Hey, Carrots, calm down...we won’t let them do that.” He assured trying to help calm her down.

“Y-You d-don’t know that!” She stuttered. 

“Judy, we actually might.” Her sister stated, butting in. 

“W-What? What do y-you mean?” Judy asked. 

“Well...do you remember when I met that really cool girl from that law school who visited a while back?” Jasmine asked tentatively.

“Yeah, Carolina. Right?” She nodded remembering Jasmine talking about her for months on end. It was quite cute actually. 

“Mhm! And...I might have mentioned the whole abortion thing from dad. But, before you jump to anything I made up fake names so she didn’t know it was you!” Jasmine reassured. Judy nodded skeptically, unsure of where her sister was going with this.

“So after that, she actually suggested some websites I should go to for help. And well...I found all this.” She explained while handing her a stack of papers from her bag. 

Judy grabbed carefully, still confused by the situation. She read the first page on the stack. 

**The Legal Rights For Pregnant Teenagers…**

Judy gasped slightly and started reading through the papers while continuing to listen to her sister. 

“When I looked through them almost everywhere it said that even if you're still 16 you have the rights to your own medical care,” Jasmine added excitingly. 

“S-So does that mean…” She trailed off, heart fluttering at the end of her sentence.

“It means that dad can’t force to you get an abortion, nor can he keep you away from Nick physically.” Jasmine smiled. 

“Not only that but you can also continue your education until your 17 or get a GED and still get into the ZPA If you consider taking a break from school,” Nick said, explaining further. 

“R-Really!?” Judy asked, still unsure. 

“Yes. And it applies out here not just in Zootopia. So you don’t have anything to worry about.” Jasmine ensured.

“Oh my god...thank you.” She sighed hugging her sister. It felt as if a huge weight had been pulled off of Judy’s heart and she could finally relax. But not yet..right now, there was a plan in motion. And she had to start immediately. While keeping a level head, of course. 

“All that aside…” Judy said grinning. “I was wondering what happened after I left, you know when I fainted in the middle of class and everything.” Nick and Jasmine glanced at each other hesitantly. But it had only been for a second so Judy wasn’t even sure if she had seen it. 

“Uhhh nothing really. Mrs. Sanchez was sorta worried, but she wanted me to tell you that you did great on your reading. So there's that.” Nick shrugged. 

“Oh! Um, well I guess that’s good...I just hope she won’t try to give me any good parts. I don’t feel like acting in some big play in the winter.” Judy grimaced.

“Yeah...that might not be an option,” Jasmine confessed.

“Wait, why not?” She questioned. Her sister shared yet another hesitant glance with Nick. It was as if the two were speaking over her hands with an inside language. 

“When you left yesterday Mrs. Sanchez had announced the next play. And...she wouldn’t stop going on about how you were made for the lead. B-But t-that's just what Jackie told me.” Jasmine explained. 

“Oh no…” Judy groaned, laying her head against the couch. 

“We’ll probably have to tell the school soon, about the pregnancy. If you went through with anything big like that it might stress you out more” Nick said worriedly. 

“How!?” She exclaimed. “If I do then the teachers will start acting differently, then our classmates. And you know they have clubs on both chastity and anti interspecies relationships. Nick! Our school is too controversial!”

“I know that Fluff. But you can’t keep it a secret. Not when it could potentially freak you out or hurt the kits” He argued. She didn’t notice it then, but Jasmine had been smiling at the two. Pleased that her sister had found someone who cared about her so deeply. 

Judy sighed in defeat. Everything was about her stress levels now. There were, of course, strings attached to having three kits. Thank goodness she wasn’t having eight. _That would_ freak her out, and the entire town as well. 

“Fine...I’ll tell Headmaster James when I get back,” Judy mumbled dejectedly. 

“Great. And now that that's settled we should head back, it's almost 1:00.” Jasmine interjected, getting up.

“Oh! Oh, yeah…” She exclaimed, sad to see them go.

“Don’t worry Carrots I’ll be back in a few more hours. Get some rest and I’ll see you in a few.” Nick reassured giving Judy one last kiss on the cheek before heading out of the apartment with Jasmine about to close the door. Just then, she remembered seeing Nick speaking with Jackie before her fainting spell.

“Nick wait!” She screamed in protest getting up and going after the two. He turned around confused.

“Yeah Carrots?” Nick asked.

“W-What was Jackie talking to you about? Before I fainted…” She said tentatively. He looked surprised for a moment but then smiled warmly. 

“Don’t worry about it...all you need to know is that Jasmine isn’t the only one who supports you out of the rest of your siblings.” He gave her one last hug before closing the door and leaving Judy alone in his apartment yet again. 

She fiddled with her thumbs thinking. Could Jackie have also forgiven her? She never seemed like the type to backstab or ignore her. Unlike Julie and her parents. Maybe...maybe there was a chance her kits could see more of their family members after all. 

Besides that, Judy had four more days by herself. Which meant she also had four days until revealing to yet another busload of people about her pregnancy. And not to forget the debate. She still had to prepare...a whole lot of it. But maybe now, for once in what feels like a lifetime, she would rest. Just this once.

Judy grabbed a book from a nearby table and started reading. Who knows? There's a chance these next four days wouldn’t be so stressful after all. 

* * *

Over her next few days at home, Judy decided to let herself listen to Karla and Nick's advice. To finally, for once, get some rest. But with the wheels in her plan turning in motion, there wasn’t any time for that. She didn’t get years of straight A’s and perfect attendance from slacking off. 

It was now Thursday. Which, unfortunately, meant that Judy had three more days to initiate her plan, hoping to salvage her campaign. And, also figure out a way to explain to her best friend of the last 12 years that she has a boyfriend. Who also got her pregnant... 

Yeah, maybe she was a bit in over her head. But there's no time like the present.

Similar to yesterday, Judy had invited someone over during lunch. Not her parents, not Jasmine, but Sharla. Of course, she had been very disgruntled once she had called her. Due to the fact that Judy hadn’t talked to Sharla since Tuesday, where they promised to work on her campaign strategy. So you can probably assume she wasn’t all that chipper when hearing from Judy.

“Oh. My. God. Why haven’t you called me!” Sharla shrieked when she first went to call her that morning.

“I know, and I’m sorry. But I really need you to come over today so we can talk…” Judy pleaded. There was a long minute of silence, followed by a long, dramatic groan from Sharla.

“Fineeeeee. But, you owe me an explanation as to why you're not at school. _And_ , one of your mom’s amazing blueberry muffins when I get there.” She demanded.

“Yeah about that…” Judy trailed off hesitantly. She informed Sharla about her new whereabouts and to say she was surprised would be an understatement.

“Umm...why are you all of the sudden now telling me about your secret apartment?” Shalra interrogated once she came at lunch. 

“Well, it's sort of a long story.” Judy shrugged. 

“I have one hour with you before I have to head back.” She said with a raised eyebrow. “Start talking.”

***One Long Summary Later***

“I can’t believe this…” Sharla mumbled once Judy had finished explaining

her long crazy story. 

“You're dating Nick!? Nick Wilde?” She yelled.

“I didn't think you’d be _this_ surprised…” Judy muttered.

“Of course I’m surprised!” Sharla whined. “You got a boyfriend and you didn’t tell me! For two years! Judy?!”

“I’m sorry, I know we promised we’d tell each other everything about our love lives, but this was different!” She argued. 

“Well, it wasn’t that different from mine…” She muttered quietly, but not quietly enough that Judy didn’t hear. She glanced at Sharla skeptically.

“What are you talking about?” Judy questioned suspiciously.

“Oh! Um, nothing. Let’s get back to your whole secret boyfriend thing.” She exclaimed flustered.

“Sharla...what's going on?” Judy asked intrigued. 

She huffed and looked away for a few seconds before turning back to face Judy with a serious look.

“I’m dating someone too,” Sharla finally revealed.

“What! Who?” Judy exclaimed. 

“I might have started seeing Gideon at the start of the year…” She shrugged. 

Judy merely stared at her friend in shock. This was not what she expected Sharla to tell her. The chances that they were _both_ dating foxes behind the others back was just too coincidental!

“Gideon Grey?!” She finally shrieked. “Oh my god, you guys are perfect for each other!!!” 

“Wait, you’re not upset? Or surprised?” Sharla asked, cocking her head sideways in confusion. 

“Of course not! I mean, I get what you see in him.” Judy said jokingly, pushing her playfully. 

“I-I d-don’t know what you're talking about…” She mumbled shyly.

“Seriously? You didn’t notice how adorably handsome your boyfriend is?” Judy questioned unconvinced. 

“Ok! I get it! Yeah...he’s really cute, and sweet. And I really like him…” Sharla giggled. 

“Awww” She chortled gushing. “Can I be a bridesmaid?”

“Judy! We're not there yet! And what about you and your new boyfriend? Or should I say baby-daddy!” Sharla accused.

“I-I-I….” Judy stuttered. “I don’t know...I think I do want to marry Nick.” 

“What! Wait, Judy are you being serious about this?” She exclaimed. 

“I'm not sure! Oh my god...I never thought about it but when he got so serious with the pregnancy I think I knew…” Judy said with wide eyes. 

“Judy…” Sharla squealed quietly, smiling at her friend. “You guys are made for each other. Besides the unplanned pregnancy, I’m sure he would have proposed eventually. And I think you really like him, from everything you’ve already told me…”

“I do...I really do.” She laughed. “B-But I still think we should wait for a little bit. Preferably until after the babies come.” 

“Unless you want a shotgun wedding from your parents?” Sharla chuckled. 

“Yeah...I don’t see that happening anymore.” Judy sighed sadly. 

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“Well, my mom and dad weren’t exactly happy with the idea of me dating Nick, or having kits with him. They told me to get an abortion…” Judy explained.

“OH HECK NO!” Sharla screamed. “No wonder you're staying with Nick! I’m gonna kill them!”

“Sharla...you are not killing my children’s grandparents,” Judy warned. 

“Fine. But I’m going to send them a very angry letter about the importance of their children and how they shouldn’t manipulate them because of their beliefs.” She scoffed. 

“Alright. But now that you're all caught up...I really need to talk to you about my campaign plan.” Judy proclaimed, hoping to get to a starting point in her plan.

“I know. And I’ve already started putting up your posters!” Sharla said happily, pulling out one of them and handing it to her. Judy grabbed it excitingly and gasped when she saw it.

“Oh my god...is this the design we made when we were kids?!” She asked.

“Yep. It's always been your dream to run for Student Council President and now you have the chance!” She exclaimed. “U-Unless you don’t want to anymore…”

“What do you mean?” Judy questioned. 

“Do you still really want to go through with this? You’ve already considered speeding up your education? Plus with the kits on the way…” Sharla suggested.

“I know, I know...But this has always been my dream.” She disagreed. 

“Yet it was only your dream because you thought you needed it for the ZPA. For your _real_ dream.” Sharla said, eyeing her accusingly. 

“Your right...Wow, maybe I should just drop out.” Judy snickered. “But, I can’t. Because I still have to go through on something.”

“And that is...?” She asked. 

Judy grinned deviously at her friend, with a glint of mischief in her eyes.

“What else…? Revenge.”

* * *

Here it was...the big day. The one that would finally change everything. Her reputation, her future, all of this would be determined in the next few hours. It was now thankfully Monday. And Judy had officially been taken off bed rest from Karla yesterday. But she still had to watch her stress levels in case anything else happened. Judy just didn't know how she could when she was about to do the craziest thing in her life. Besides telling her parents she was pregnant and dating a fox. 

When finally arriving at the school after what felt like a lifetime, Judy walked confidently through the doors, with her head held high. Today was the day she would finally get her revenge on that conniving sheep. Watch out Dawn because she’s-

“Click”

Judy flinched, closing her eyes at the sudden beam of light.

“Oh! Sorry, was the camera flash too bright?” A voice in front of her exclaimed shyly. She finally adjusted to her surroundings and saw who was in front of her. It was Abigail, a sophomore in the photography club.

“N-No it's fine. But um, why are you taking pictures? The yearbook doesn't start taking pictures until October.” She asked, confused.

“Yeah but these are just for the school newspaper! Because of the debate.” Abigail said chipperly while taking another picture of Judy. 

“Click.” 

Her ears flinched slightly and she glanced skeptically at the camera. Judy’s suspicions were burning like never before.

“Hey, Abby…” She began. “Is that your personal camera for the club?”

“Hmm? Oh! No, this is a specific one our advisor bought for the club and we only use it for special events. It has a special lens so it’ll let the mammals using It capable of taking pictures from far away or even behind a door!” Abby responded.

“Oh...has anyone used it lately?” Judy interrogated. 

“Nope! Well…” She said trailing off as if remembering something. “There was something last week where before lunch I went into the classroom I couldn’t find it. I came back with the teacher to show him but it somehow was exactly where it was supposed to! Almost as if I was imagining it...Anyway, why do you ask?”

“No reason.” Judy lied. “I just thought the photography club was really interesting and I’m glad you guys do so much.” 

“Aww, thanks! I'll share it with the others so they’ll vote for you.” Abby smiled while walking away. She waved, seeing her turn a corner and leave while Judy herself headed for the auditorium. But something was bothering her…

That sound, the one from the camera, she heard it before. At least, she thought she did. It was last week when Judy was about to catch Simone and Xena before her secret got revealed. But was it just her imagination...Judy shook her head, trying to calm herself down before the debate. The victory was so close! She couldn’t let herself get any more distracted by tiny suspicions. Besides...it was probably nothing. Right? 

***5 Minutes Before The Debate***

“Ok, so Ms. James will introduce you all and then after Neve and Dawn give their opening statements I’ll wait for your single _then_ I play the recording through the speakers,” Sharla said, going through the details of their plan one last time.

“Right. But you need to wait for my dramatic pause in the speech. I want to make sure Dawn never sees it coming.” Judy asserted with a fire in her eyes.

You see, when we last left these two they were planning the grand plan. The plan that would ensure Judy’s revenge on Dawn once and for all. She had first gotten the idea after hearing so many of her loved ones telling her to do something about the ewe’s blackmailing tactics. But after thinking long and hard about going to the authorities, she thought it would best if Judy herself publicly humiliated Dawn before that evil sheep had the chance to first. And all the stress of going to the authorities and exposing Dawn then having to deal with the lawyers since most obviously mammals would sue her out of a breach of confidentiality. 

Thankfully, because of some miracle, the day Judy had confronted Dawn in the hallway all those weeks ago, her pen recorder had somehow managed to catch some bits and pieces of their conversation. And those bits were the most important ones she could have on paw. 

So the now completed and prepared plan would go like this.

First, Judy would go through her introduction, talking about her plans for the school and her dream of what it could become. But before she would finish she would explain that even at the end of it all, and everything she’s already been through, Judy would humbly say she’s stepping down. She didn’t need to become Student Council President to become a cop. She could make it there on her own. And her record was perfect so why go to lengths to make it even better?

After everyone got the chance to listen to the recording of Dawn's “alleged” confession Sharla would then post the video feed they got of her going through the town's medical records multiple times. It had been Shrala’s idea to check in with Karla to see if they had gotten anything on tape. And thankfully they did because Judy wasn’t sure if a recording would be enough to convince everyone. Karla, of course, was absolutely devastated and about to call the police, but after the duo explained their plan she happily contributed. 

So when both the recording and the video were finally exposed Dawn would be a mess. At least, that's what Judy was planning to happen. She didn’t want to extort the ewe or resort to blackmail. Only to make sure she embraces her before she does the same. And according to Judy’s calculations, this was probably the only way she could get through the debate and the rest of the campaign without risking having the entire school find out about her secret relationship with Nick.

But really, Judy didn’t even care about that. She just didn't want her classmates to judge them because of the pregnancy. Honestly, they could all jump off a clif if they think that she’s weird for dating a fox. And a very handsome fox on that matter. 

Anyway, Judy said goodbye to Sharla and waited behind the curtains anxiously. The next few minutes would be the most important ones in her life. Her phone buzzed and she went to check her messages. The text was from Nick. 

**Good luck up there Carrots. We’ll be cheering you up from the first row. And don’t forget, if you don’t want to freak out up there, answer their question with your own question and then answer** **_that_** **question. Debate 101.** And with a little smirking fox emoji after that. 

Judy giggled at her boyfriend's words of encouragement and promptly texted him back a thank you and saluting bunny emoji of herself. She put her phone back in her pocket and then went to look for Neve in order to position herself beside the vixen for when they were all called up on stage. 

But just then, she heard a shrill evil voice call out from behind her. 

“Hey, Judy…” The voice snickered. She recognized the voice, it was Xena’s. Judy turned around and didn't just see Xena. But Simone and Dawn as well. Her nose twitched rapidly. This was not part of her plan.

“Xena...Simone...Dawn. What is this?” She said accusingly looking at all of them. 

“Oh well, we just wanted to talk,” Simone exclaimed innocently. 

“About your little plan…” Xena added on, still grinning evilly. Judy’s ears sprung up in surprise. There’s no way…

“That's right. I found all about your little idea of revenge. You should really think about working together with mammals who don’t live with your target.” Dawn glowered. 

“I-I...what are you going to do?” Judy asked nervously.

“You might want to consider backing out on your plan and just go home in defeat,” Simone smirked. 

“Because if you even try to go through with it then we won’t stop at telling the entire school about your freak children. We’ll tell your entire family as well.” Dawn threatened. 

“Wait...what?” Judy proclaimed confused. Were they serious right now?

“So don’t even try to expose me. Or else, I’ll let your parents know about everything. About you and Nick, your pregnancy and how you’ve practically lied to them for the entire month.” Dawn asserted.

“And having the entire school find out as well will just be the cherry on top.” Xena giggled until Simone growled at her to stop.

"But we have rock-solid proof as well." Dawn bragged pulling out a tablet from her own bag. She opened to a picture, a picture Judy never expected to see. It was a picture of her and Nick on the floor in the hallway she was staking out kissing. 

That backstabbing weasel! Well, not weasel, but you get the point.

"You took the picture! I-I didn't even see anyone. A-And I was looking for Xena and Simone so how would you know about that?" Judy gasped. 

"You are truly an idiot Judy." Dawn laughed. "Xena and Simone were never planning on meeting there. It was a setup. They took the picture while I stood as an alibi"

Everything made sense, Of course, they would work with Dawn instead of posting about it online. The three of them together made sense! With Dawn as their aid, they'd be unstoppable. The trio sauntered away, Dawn heading in the direction of the stage while Xena and Simone the direction of the audience. 

Judy stood stunned backstage. Dawn didn't know that her parents had already found out about her and Nick. And they had a picture of them kissing which they would most likely post online if she went through with this. Her and Nick’s secret will spread to the school. Which could potentially make her parents try to confront her about the abortion. Only to find out that she hadn’t even been underneath the same roof with them for days now. 

She would get in trouble, Jasmine would as well. And most likely the entire school. Judy was positive no one in BunnyBurrow would care about her interspecies relationship. But if they found out about her pregnancy as well the school board could get her expelled. Judy had heard about it before, in the past, a rumor or myth, some prey student had gotten expelled after mammals found out about her pregnancy with a predator. 

The town elders were religious as well. They might even try to kick her and Nick out of town. She would never want to put that on him. But she couldn’t stand idly by and let Dawn get away with all of this. 

There had to be a way she could salvage all of this. However, right now, she had a debate to go through. And a plan to initiate. Judy didn't care what types of rumors Dawn, Simone, or Xena would try to spread about her. She just wanted to get the proof out once and for all. 

Judy took in one last breath and headed for the stage. Now or never, it was truly the most important moment of her life. 

**To Be Continued…**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Chapter 11 is finally here! :3
> 
> I was planning on posting this yesterday, at midnight or 3:00 am but I accidentally fell asleep at the computer XD
> 
> Don't worry! I'm not overexerting myself. Totally getting a moderate amount of sleep. Like...4 hours :p
> 
> Haha just kidding, I'm not sleeping for 4 hours everyday...I'm sleeping for 1 hour. 
> 
> Lol no Jk seriously. 
> 
> Anyway, this concept of this chapter, where Judy found out about her rights and everything, was inspired by a very helpful comment made by DangerSkunk. They helped me figure out what I missing and now I have a much better vision of where to go from here. So thank you!!!!
> 
> I flipping love it when you guys comment on here and give your amazing suggestion. Keep it up! Really, they help so much more than you think. :) 
> 
> Besides all that, I think I'm struggling here right now. I've been on Highschool And Unplanned Pregnancies for more than a month now and my mind is only bursting with ideas of other stories I want to try writing. 
> 
> I'm not leaving! I would never give up on this story or you guys, but I'm trying to finish the story sometime soon. Hopefully in the next month or two.
> 
> I hoped to finish this story before New Year but I don't see that happening due to how much more I still have left to add.
> 
> And I wanted to write this big story with hundreds of chapters but after all, I'm still only an inexperienced teenager with no capacity to write that much.
> 
> But more importantly! I'm not leaving, I'll stick with this until the very finale. And after the kits are born I think it'll be a straight beeline to the end from there. 
> 
> And before you ask...yes. Nick and Judy will get married before the end. It'll be a really cute proposal and everything so looks out for that :3 
> 
> Anyway, I'll see you guys in the next chapter and now I will be retreating into my room to continue writing on Chapter 12 :p
> 
> Stay safe! And happy early Thanksgiving!!!! 
> 
> I love all of you! 
> 
> P.S For my readers from Fanfiction.net. I think the story is back to normal but I'm not sure. I still don't trust it and I feel like it might glitch again but just thought you should know.


	12. Chapter 12: The Runaways

**Chapter 12: The Runaways**

* * *

The auditorium was built to hold thousands of students, almost as if the entire building was built like an opera house. Not that BunnyBurrow even had an opera house in the first place. So when Judy finally walked up on stage alongside Neve and Dawn she was instantly hit with the eyes of her hundreds of classmates. She frantically looked near the stage and eventually locked eyes with Nick and Jasmine. Both of them had encouraging smiles and gave her a thumbs up. She smiled back, masking the growing feeling of dread behind her face. 

Judy stood behind her podium, conveniently placed at the end, closest to the backstage entrance, where she had a great look on Sharla by the tech booth. The ewe gave her a reassuring nod before turning back to her work. She wondered if what they were about to do would really even help. Judy had never been the type to stir up drama, so wouldn’t she be doing exactly that if she tried exposing Dawn.

But was she even mad at her in the first place? Yes, she illegally looked at her medical records and then proceeded to blackmail Judy to no expense. Not to mention that Dawn also went out of her way to take a picture of her and Nick in an intimate moment just so she had even more leverage against them. Sure, everything she's managed to have done in the last few weeks was insane. But that didn’t mean Judy should blame all of her problems on her. It wasn’t as if Dawn had done anything as bad as her family. 

Judy had been so deep in thought she didn’t notice the debate had already started. Neve was near the end of her introduction and Dawn was about to start hers. Her heart flipped anxiously as she wondered if everything she was about to do would only potentially backfire on herself. Neve had just about finished her speech when Dawn was already headfirst into hers. It was only a matter of time...and she still couldn’t figure out what to do. 

The minutes were moving faster by each second and it felt as if Dawn’s speech ended just as it began. So just like that, it was Judy’s turn. Her head pounded with stress and she knew her nose was twitching out of control. Finally, she let out a huge breath and looked up at Nick one last time. He mouthed a quick, “You got this,” before giving her one last supportive nod. 

And at that very moment, Judy knew what she had to do. 

“Excuse me.” She said, addressing the audience and scurried off stage in the direction of Sharla. 

“What are you doing?” Sharla whispered confused. “Get back up on stage, we still have a chance to expose Dawn!”

“Change of plans,” Judy exclaimed. She then turned around and poked her head back out of the entrance and urged Dawn over.

“Dawn! Come over here!” She pleaded while moving her paws in their direction. The ewe stared at her dumbfoundedly but reluctantly walked away from the pedestals and stood beside her and Sharla. 

“What is going on? Is this some part of your stupid plan?” She hissed.

“Wait how did you know-” Sharla began but Judy stopped her before they got into another useless argument.

“There's no time to explain. Dawn, I’m dropping out of the race.” She sighed looking at her previously acclaimed enemy.

“What, why!? Are you just trying to lie to me to throw me off my game?” Dawn accused.

“No, I’m not. And neither are you. No more lies or tricks. I’m done with all of it.” Judy asserted.

“So? That won’t stop me from doing whatever it takes to win.” She scoffed.

“Well, you know what? I don’t care Dawn. I’m going to leave, and I won’t give a flipping shit if you still try posting the pictures or tell everyone about me and Nick. I’m tired of all of it, the stress and the blackmailing. It’s too much! But I don’t want to keep fighting with you Dawn. You deserve to fight for the chance to be President, I don’t think I even wanted it in the first place.” Judy explained. 

Dawn looked at her in shock, her expression a mix between relief or anger. Or maybe it had been something else entirely. 

“What do you mean you're going to leave?!” Sharla blurted fearfully. “Sharla, I’ll be fine with Nick...And I have to go. My parents tried to force me into an abortion. Even if I know they can't make me get one legally, the thought of potentially seeing both of them again scares me. I don’t want them around my kits, and I definitely don’t want them around Nick.” Judy sighed. 

“Your parents tried to make you get an abortion?” Dawn exclaimed silently.

“Yeah…” She chuckled darkly in response. “It’s been a pretty hectic start of the year. So I’m going to try and put an end to it. And you're going to go back up on the pedestals and beat the heck out of Neve.” Judy said pointing to Dawn

“What's the catch…? You can’t possibly be trying to let off so easily?!” The sheep argued.

“No catch. I only hope that if you win you won’t turn this place into a dictatorship but try to help make it a better place.” Judy said reassuringly. “You really would be a great president Dawn, if you’d just pay attention to both sides of the spectrum…”

She looked at Judy with yet another mixed expression on her face, as if the ewe was having an epiphany right then and there. Just then, Neve walked backstage.

“Um, guys...Is everything alright? The debate is still going on and everyone out there is pretty confused. Should I get a teacher?!” The vixen exclaimed frantically. Judy sighed one last time, knowing she would have to go talk to her headmaster to explain in most likely a few more minutes. She only hoped her words got through to Dawn at least once.

“Well, I guess I’ll get going. Good luck to both of you.” Judy beamed while turning around and embracing Sharla once again. 

“Call me when everything's alright. Ok?” Her friend pleaded. 

“Ok. Make sure your cousin doesn't turn the school into some crazy empire.” Judy giggled.

“I’ll try, but I make  _ no _ promises.” Sharla sighed, giving her one last hug before the two waved goodbye. 

Judy scampered down the stairs past the backstage door and encountered the gazing faces of her classmates yet again. Whispers and snippets of conversations floated around as she cringed. Maybe leaving the stage with no explanation wasn’t the best choice to do? She pushed the thought from her mind, it was too late to turn back now. And what point would she prove by doing so?

Judy made her way farther into the seats until finally seeing Nick, his eyes filled with concern but he thankfully managed to keep a calm expression as to not make a scene. Not like what she did on stage wasn’t dramatic enough... 

“Carrots!” He said, urging her over. “What happened, are you alright?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine…” Judy sighed smiling at the fox. 

“Ok, so why did you get off the stage? Come on, you should get back up there!” Nick exclaimed.

“I can’t,” she explained. “I have to do something…”

“What?” He asked, cocking his head in confusion. Judy contemplated if what she was about to do would be romantic or risky. But in reality, she should take a bite at the jalapeno instead of nibbling at the sides. It was something her grandmother always told her, which was weird since rabbits can’t eat jalapenos…

And besides that, Judy decided to go for it. 

“This.” She stated while bringing Nick down to her eye-level and kissing him almost instantly. Her ears perked, catching the gasps of her surrounding classmates. But she didn’t care. It was past time for Judy to reveal her secrets, and keeping them benefited no one. And it wouldn’t even matter what her classmates ended up thinking after this, because she was leaving them all behind. 

After a few more seconds Judy pulled away from Nick, giggling at his shocked yet somewhat relieved expression. 

“Sorry…” She laughed. “I didn’t want to take you by surprise. I just... _ really _ needed to do that.” His eyes morphed into those filled with fondness and kissed Judy on the cheek in response.

“No problem Fluff. I figured seeing me at school every day and not being able to kiss me would become torture soon enough.” He smirked. She rolled her eyes at him but smiled back. Nick truly was everything she’d ever want in the perfect mate. 

Judy suddenly became more aware of her classmate's gawking faces and she led both of them away from the crowd and into the hallway. But Nick just had the rub the moment in their faces even more and pulled them back into the auditorium for a quick second and yelled,

“I love my girlfriend!”

Judy blushed at his outburst but loved every minute of it. And the shocked looks on her peers didn’t hurt either. 

* * *

The couple ran back into the empty hallways laughing like mad-mammals. Their paws intertwined with each other as if they were running from a crime scene. 

“I don’t think we’ll be able to show our faces here again without everyone whispering about us.” He chuckled while catching his breath. Judy felt her smile drop at his statement and turned to face him seriously.

“Nick...I think we should leave.” She said hesitantly.

“What do you mean? Like leaving school? Or leave BunnyBurrow?” He asked.

“Both I think. I mean, is there really anything here for us? And I don’t want to risk seeing my parents again after everything that happened. Besides, the only reason you left Zootopia was to get away from Simone. Yet she still followed you!” Judy argued. 

He stared at her deep in thought before smiling slyly. 

“I don’t know...I think this farm town has grown a bit on me.” Nick shrugged. “And where else in the world would I get such amazing blueberries?” 

Judy rolled her eyes at his sarcasm and cheekily pulled him down by the collar, kissing him more passionately than she had done in the auditorium and thankfully, shutting him up. She pulled away, trying hard not to snicker as he blinked dumbly in surprise. 

“Nevermind,” Nick smirked, glancing back at her playfully. Judy grinned in triumph and continued leading the two of them towards the headmaster's office.

“We still have to set up a transfer. Do you know any good schools?” She proclaimed. 

“Carrots please, I know everybody and anybody back home. Of course, I know all the good schools.” He bragged. Judy resisted the urge not to roll her eyes yet again and turned to face him expectantly.

“The North Academy,” Nick exclaimed. “Probably one of the best...However…” He trailed off.

“However what?” She questioned.

“I feel like you should take a break,” Nick explained while staring at her concerned. 

“A break? B-But I still have to get an education and make it into t-the ZPD!” Judy squealed worrisomely. 

“Carrots you’re pregnant.” He sighed bluntly. “Do you really think going to a new fancy school in the city will make your stress levels lower somehow?” She opened her mouth in protest but quickly shut it, acknowledging his words. Her ears drooped in defeat as she nodded timidly in response.

“I guess you're right...Then what do you think I should do if you're so well versed in what is or isn’t stressful!?” Judy pouted.” 

“Well getting a GED could give you the same credit,” Nick stated, reminiscing to the moment in his apartment where Julie had shown the two of them all those articles. “And if you want to, you could try going online for a while.” He suggested. 

“They both sound like good ideas to me,” a voice from behind the two of them expressed. She and Nick turned around surprised and saw Ms. James standing mere feet away from them.

“M-Ms. James!” Judy shrieked. “I-I u-um…” She stuttered on her words, attempting to think of a good excuse.

“I already heard all about it. Some teachers were freaking out over the phone so I thought I should head down there and check it out but it seems you two were already gone.” Ms. James expressed with a raised eyebrow. 

Judy continued stammering flustered and looking back and forth between Ms. James and everywhere else in the hallway. 

“Don’t worry I’m not going to yell at you for disrupting the entire meeting.” She laughed. 

“You're not!?” They both proclaimed. 

“No, honestly I don’t care.” Ms. James shrugged. “I only have to stop students from getting into fights or whatnot so this is out of my paycheck.” 

“S-So...you wouldn’t be upset if we asked you about transferring?” Judy asked tentatively.

“Well, I would be sad to see one of my best students leave.” She sighed while looking at Judy with caring eyes. “But I know that this place isn’t going to be accepting towards you two, so transferring would be the best option.” 

The two let out a sigh of relief, having another mammal judge their predicament yet again would only be another block in the road. 

“The papers are already done if you both needed it.” Ms. James chortled while handing Judy two different stacks of papers. She stared at them in shock. 

“W-What...H-How?” Judy exclaimed, looking back and forth between the pages and her. 

“I had a sneaking suspicion...Oh, and Karla called me not too long ago.” She laughed. Judy scowled irritatingly, that lynx was always one step ahead of her. But in the end, they both cared about her. Karla, Ms. James, even Nick…

She would miss this. All of it, Sharla and Jasmine, the serenity of the country. Even if Judy was leaving it all behind it didn't mean she wouldn’t at least try coming back. Maybe once everything was calmer. And Judy had had the kits and then maybe she could try facing her parents again. 

“All that aside…” Ms. James sighed, a large smile still plastered against her face. “I should probably head over to the auditorium before any more of the teachers start freaking out.” She started to walk away, leaving the couple alone in the hallway. But just as she was about to disappear a corner Ms. James turned around and shouted back.

“Don’t forget us when you make it big in Zootopia!” 

Judy felt her heart warm and smile grow as she called back.

“I won’t!”

***Three Weeks Later***

Judy impatiently stomped her foot as she watched Nick carry the last of their boxes into their newly bought apartment. He walked slowly, carefully holding all of it in his paws while trying hard to keep them from falling over. She groaned irritatingly. 

“Can’t you at least let me hold one of them!” Judy pleaded while watching her boyfriend clumsily put down the boxes.

“Carrots how could I possibly risk you getting hurt carrying one of these heavy boxes!?” He exclaimed while putting a paw to his chest in protest. She rolled his eyes at Nick and scowled.

“They barely weigh anything! And I’m only at nine weeks Nick. God, It's not as if I’m physically useless.” Judy protested sitting on the floor in anger. Their couch wouldn’t be delivered until tomorrow so at the moment she had nothing to throw herself on in irritation. 

Nick sighed and moved to sit down beside her.

“Is this because I didn’t ask you to help me carry up the bed stand?” He asked tentatively while absentmindedly playing with her ears. Judy knew he was happy.  _ She _ was happy. They were finally together, away from all the stress brought on from back home.

Home...Judy had left that all behind. She had said goodbye to Jasmine, Sharla, and Karla as well. Her parents found out about her escape quickly after they left. And in short, they were livid. Bonnie and Stu tried calling her countless times and the only time she picked up was to tell them to leave her alone. She was happy now. Happy that they wouldn’t bother her any longer. 

At this point in her pregnancy she was at the start of her third month yet she still wasn’t used to all the side effects. The morning sickness had begun hurting harder than usual. Most days Judy would just sit in bed tired from all the countless trips to the bathroom. 

Her body even started showing signs she was pregnant. However, not by that much. She was only in her third month after all. Nick, as always, was being such a supportive boyfriend. Helping her every time she got sick and constantly being right by her side.

Over the last few weeks, he proved almost every day that she had made the right choice. Judy was happy with him. She just wished that her parents could see that. 

She melted peacefully into Nick’s embrace as he continued to play with her ears. They were drooping tiredly down her back and she sensed he knew something was wrong once he stopped moving his paw down them.

“Alright...you've been acting like this for days. What’s wrong?” He demanded while raising an eyebrow. Judy stared at him innocently, in hopes of keeping up her facade, but his expression only pressed on further. She sighed, defeated. Nick could read her like a book. Of course, falling in love with somebody could do that to a mammal. 

“It’s just...I’m having a hard time getting used to all this…” Judy mumbled while pulling her legs closer to her chest. He looked at her sincerely and pulled the doe closer into his embrace, trying desperately to cheer her up. 

“I know...Imagine how  _ I _ felt when moving to BunnyBurrow for the first time.” Nick chuckled while watching his girlfriend intently for a change. And just like he intended, Judy burst into a flurry of giggles and shoved him playfully from behind.

“You dorky fox.” She laughed while not noticing the smile moving its way onto her lips. Nick only hugged her tighter and grinned at her cheerful expression.

“Dorky fox...Happy bunny.” He mused.

That was what sent Judy over the edge. She started laughing uncontrollably, still smiling brightly, and pushed him playfully.

“Oh my god, you're so cheesy!” Judy chortled. 

“Yeah, well you fell for cheesy.” Nick bragged while continuing to stare at her lovingly. She eventually settled down but felt glad that he was able to wash away her stress almost instantly.

“Thank you…” Judy muttered, resting her head on his shoulder. She felt his arms wrap around her caringly and smiled. Nick truly could read her like a book.

Just then, their doorbell rang, and both their ears perked up in the direction of the dimly lit foyer.

“I’ll get it!” They both exclaimed simultaneously. Judy looked at him and snickered. 

“We’ll both get it.” She giggled. The two got off the carpeted floor and opened the entryway to the apartment. Nick’s sister, Nina, stood behind the door with a stack of mail in one paw and a mysteriously filled container in the other.

“Hey, Nina!” Judy beamed.

“Hey, Judy!” She smiled back while looking at Nick casually. “Mom says to remember to visit her on weekends.”

“How am I not going to visit her, you guys are two rooms away from us!?” He argued. 

“And yet it feels like an ocean away!” Her voice screamed from the farther room, echoing through the hall until reaching Judy’s ears. She chuckled slightly, knowing Nick was probably rolling his eyes right now.

“Anyway, I grabbed your guy’s mail for today. I know, your welcome.” She smirked slyly while shoving the stack into Nick’s paws. He mumbled angrily before retreating back into the apartment. 

Judy snickered slightly but returned her attention back to the Tupperware in Nina’s other paw.

“Why do you have a container?” She asked intrigued. 

“Oh! This is just a little something me and Cooper made to congratulate you guys on the move in.” Nina exclaimed while handing her the carton. Judy hastily opened up only to have a strong chocolatey smell fill her nose. 

The container was filled with about a dozen intricately cut frosted brownies and she beamed excitingly at the vixen.

“I didn’t know you and Cooper could bake?” Judy asked.

“Yeah, we get it from our mom but our little Nicky got the sensitive gene!” She proclaimed, yelling loud enough for him to hear.

“I did not!” He yelled back. 

She giggled at the sibling's bickering but dropped her smile ever so slightly. Hearing Nina call him Nicky stirred something up in Judy. It made her think of Xena for the first time in weeks. 

Of course, she knew that Xena and the others were far away from where she was now but every now and then her mind would wander to them. Everything they did...It was all too much. She might've been able to forgive Dawn, a very small might at that, but Judy wasn’t sure if she’d ever forgiven Xena and Simone. Simone, for obvious reasons. And Xena, well, she was just crazy so it made sense. 

“Well if you guys ever need help you know where to find us. Cya later Judy!” Nina waved, walking back down the hallway. 

Judy smiled and watched the vixen leave. She could get used to living in Zootopia. No judgmental parents or diabolical classmates. Just herself, Nick’s family, and-

“Oh my god!” 

Suddenly, Nick’s voice blurted from the other room and Judy rushed over in concern.

“What!? What’s wrong?” She questioned, still holding the container of brownies close to her chest. He looked up quickly and grinned at her.

“Oh, it's nothing big. I just saw that Dr. Firefox finally mailed us the pictures from the last ultrasound.” Nick shrugged, referring to the pictures in his paw. Her eyes bulged and she dropped the box of food and instantly rushed up next to him.

“Let me see!” Judy urged reaching for them. He rolled his eyes playfully and handed them to her. They felt warm in her hand, even after being in a metallic mailbox for god knows how long. 

“I can’t believe we're having two fox kits,” Nick exclaimed while leaning against the countertop and staring at a spot in the ceiling.

“I know…” She muttered in response, her eyes still captivated by the picture. The three blobs you have all learned to love had of course grown much larger since you’ve last seen them.

**(I love breaking the fourth wall, sorry :3)**

Her kits were now big enough to be defined by their species. And according to Judy’s last ultrasound, they were having two foxes and a bunny. It was still too early to find out the sex but it made them happy nonetheless. 

“I do not plan on helping  _ unless _ it’s a boy.” Nick mused, grabbing one of Nina’s brownies and breaking her trance. She glared at him, pursing her lips and he quickly moved beside her.

“Oh, Carrots you know I’m joking.” He stated while enveloping her in a hug. Judy pouted angrily but still reluctantly smiled as his arms embraced her. They both continued to look down at the pictures in her hand. Two foxes and a bunny. That didn’t sound too hard for 16-year-old parents. Of course, by the time the kits were born the two would already be newly 17. So maybe it wouldn't be such a challenge after all. 

“Did you finally end up deciding on which school to finally transfer to?” Nick asked, separating her thoughts.

“Hmm? Oh! Yeah, I think I finally narrowed it down to taking the afternoon classes at ZU until my second trimester but waiting to take the test for the GED until after the kits are born.” She responded, beaming up at him.

“Well, I’m happy for you.” He smiled while placing a kiss on her temple and moving back to unpacking the boxes in their living room. 

“And you? Did you decide on going back to your old school?” Judy pressed, hopping onto the counter and eating the rest of the brownies. Her legs kicked back and forth lazily as she watched Nick figure out which box had their bare essentials in it.

“Still not sure yet...where is it?” He said non-heartedly, still focused on the many boxes. 

“You can’t just  _ not  _ get an education.” She argued, plopping a brownie in her mouth. 

“I’m still going to get one-oh I found it!” Nick exclaimed, finally finding what he was looking for. He pulled out a small photograph and quickly placed it on the counter beside her, his tail swishing happily as he stared at it.

Judy got off the counter in interest and stood beside him, staring at the photo as well. It was the one of her and Nick from their first Saturday rendezvous together. She was smiling awkwardly while he took the picture wearing his famous smirks. 

They were both so young and new to all of this. And here they were now. Together, in their first apartment, expecting children. Sure, if you tried telling this all to Judy around the time they took this photo she would tell you you’re crazy. But right now, even after everything that's happened between the two of them. The pregnancy, the dinner, the drama...Judy found it all worth it. Because, as cheesy as it sounds, she got to go home at the end of the day to Nick. And in reality, that mattered more than anything her parents tried to influence on her. 

“I think I’ll take a knack at business…” He proclaimed, stopping her trance.

“Huh? What do you mean?” She asked, dazed.

“Well since we're both obviously getting some sort of education.” Nick started. “I thought about what to do after. You know, how you're going to be a police officer. Maybe I could be a businessman.”

“Hmm...Manger Wilde. I think it has a nice ring to it. Don’t you think?” Judy beamed. 

“Slow down, I don’t even know if I’ll go through with it.” He laughed in protest.

“Too late, I’m already ordering your nameplate.” She bragged, cozying up to him. 

“Then I’m going to start planning for your acceptance speech,” Nick argued. 

“Acceptance speech? For what?” Judy questioned.

“Well for when you accept your award for the greatest officer of the year of course!” He proclaimed, spinning her around. She giggled and complied, moving around the room with him. 

“And what about when you become Zootopia’s next big tycoon?” Judy quipped. 

“Manger now a tycoon? Jeez Carrots, your expectations of me are bigger than I thought.” He chuckled, dancing alongside her. They both laughed, continuing to move around the room. And Judy knew that she would cherish this moment forever. One where they were doing something as silly as dancing around an empty apartment with only the noises of the bustling city outside for music. Just this moment, and every other. Judy would cherish them. 

So who cares if they most likely become one of those cheesy couples she gagged at in the streets? Nick cared about her and the kits, so that was what really mattered. 

**(Gross I know, so cheesy XD But suck on it! Because these two deserve ONE happy chapter! Alright bye bye :3)**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ew 
> 
> Oh god EWWWWW
> 
> I am so sorry, this has to be the cheesiest chapter I've ever written. :p
> 
> But can you blame me?! I just had to give them one chapter where there wasn't any drama!
> 
> I mean, there was still the daily dose of drama but it's tame compared to the other chapter.
> 
> Anyway, sorry that this one came later than expected. My computer had a little malfunction when my cat knocked over my hot chocolate (yes I know) and it spilled on my computer. I had to take it to the shop and it took three or four days for it to get fixed. And after that, I had to wait for my files to back up again and continue from where I left off.
> 
> So long story short, not my best week XD
> 
> I'll have chapter 13 with you guys in the next three or four days so look for it until then!
> 
> As always, happy November, stay safe, and I love all of you so much! You're the best!!! :3
> 
> See you in the next one! :)


	13. Chapter 13: A Month In The City

**Chapter 13: A Month In The City**

* * *

“Oh god, oh god, oh god!” Judy paced back and forth across the newly decorated living room of her and Nick’s apartment. They had officially been living there for a week or so now and it was already time for her to start the afternoon GED preparation classes at ZU. And in short, she was freaking out. 

“Carrots...you're going to be fine!” Nick exclaimed trying to calm her down. He was sitting on their couch with a cup of tea in his paw looking, as always, calm and collected.

“You don’t know that! W-What if there's another Xena or Simone situation o-or-” She started rambling but was cut off by Nick. 

“That won’t happen. You know why? Because we can both acknowledge the fact that those two crazies are unique enough to not have some weird doppelgangers in the city.  _ And, _ that if anything happens you will have a devilish handsome boyfriend to air your grievances to.” He smirked. Judy sighed and smiled at him and plopped on the couch as well, her head laying tiredly against his shoulder. 

“I know that. B-But what if...what if I’m making a mistake? Isn’t there always a chance I’d just fail the GED and not get into the academy causing all this to be for nothing?” She mumbled sorrowly. 

“Well...that  _ could  _ happen,” Nick began, “But I know that your genius mind isn’t capable of failing. You're too smart Judy, and I know that every decision we’ve made so far hasn't been a mistake.” He finished smiling at her. She smiled back at him, holding onto his arm tightly. Nick was there for her, his family as well. Judy would just have to calm herself over the next few months. There's no way the exact same events from Willowbrook can happen again. Right? 

The following morning, after her excessive worrying the night before, Judy finally started her first day at the Zootopia University. The building in itself was filled with mammals as far as the eye can see. Each and every one of them several heads larger than her own self. Obviously. 

But at the end of it, ZU looked like your everyday college. Lots of foliage, huge brick walls,  _ extremely _ intimidating. Would Judy even be able to fit in here? 

A pregnant 16 year old from the country doesn't sound like your average student. She had tried to talk to Jack about it all since he knew much more about the prestigious colleges and all, but it was like he seemingly disappeared off their chats together. So that left Judy all by her lonesome. 

Of course, with the exception of Nick. He would be taking his prep classes back home online, that way if the kits were born earlier he could stay at home in case Judy had to take the test almost immediately after. It was every day now that he managed to prepare for everything. And it was also every day that Judy only drew closer and closer to the end of her first trimester…

She walked into the building, instantly having her mind taken off of all the pregnancy stress and replaced with awe and anxiousness. Willowbrook was big but compared to here? ZU had to be triple the size. Instead of lockers, the walls were lined with hundreds of fascinating pictures. Each one of them signed off at the bottom with a different name. If Judy remembered correctly Zootopia University had a strong photography program.

But the initial reason she decided to attend their afternoon classes wasn’t that the school itself had a great enough reputation, but also because it was a perfect walking distance to the ZPD. Just walking past it that very morning gave her a tremendous feeling of hope. Hope that maybe there could be a chance everything would work out according to plan and she and Nick could raise the kits while also fulfilling their dreams. 

Judy had been so deep in her thoughts she hadn’t noticed the larger mammals walking right in front of her, focused on their herd and not their surroundings. Causing Judy to shriek frighteningly when she looked up and noticed an elephants’ heel about to step on her. She closed her eyes, unsure of what to do or what was going to happen but once she reopened them her body was safe and sound, far away from the herd of elephants and in the arms of another. 

“Jack?!” Judy exclaimed once recognizing the mammal who saved her was none other than the elusive Jack Savage. Who also coincidentally hadn't been answering any of her texts during the last few days. So he still was in the dark regarding the recent situation. You know, the one where she basically ran away from home and didn’t tell her parents because they're crazy psychopaths who want her to get an abortion. 

“Judy! I didn’t think it was actually you but when I saw you almost get stepped on I freaked out!” He exclaimed, checking to make sure she hadn’t gotten hurt.

“Jack I’m fine, thank you. But oh my god! What are you doing here?!” Judy beamed standing up. 

“Sometimes I like revisiting my alma mater. Today you just happened to be here on one of my visiting days.” Jack shrugged in response. 

“That's right...you graduated from here…” She mumbled. “Gosh, it's hard to remember that you’re not a freshman in college.”

“What can I say? I’m special.” He bragged, smirking. Judy rolled her eyes but suddenly redirected the conversation to his mysterious disappearance. 

“Why haven’t I heard from you! Moving to Zootopias been hard enough without having your advice…” She grumbled.

“Wait, you moved here? When?” Jack said surprised.

“Yes! Haven’t you read any of my messages?” Judy interrogated.

“I um, went through a sorta  _ eventful _ experience and wasn’t really paying attention to my social life for a bit.” He flinched.

“Heh. You and me both…” She laughed awkwardly.

“Did you end up enrolling here?” Jack asked, breaking the tension.

“Oh! Um, no actually, I just have the afternoon classes to prepare for the GED. Thought it’d be better to take the test and be done with it.” Judy proclaimed. 

“Makes sense. Do you want to head over there with me? My old professor's classroom is on the way so it could save you some time.” Jack suggested.

“Yes, thank you! I would probably get lost in the next five minutes if I wasn’t careful.” She joked. The two walked past the other loitering students and after five or more classrooms later Jack finally dropped Judy off at her spot and said goodbye. 

She burst in immediately, excitement reaching the tips of her ears, and darted her eyes to almost every surface in the room. Judy expected it to be like a run of the mill SAT prep room. Dim lights, cramped desks, only one whiteboard, and many cliche inspiring posters splattered against the walls. Of course, that's what they looked like back in the burrows. If the classrooms looked anything like the outside of the school then surely she’d have more than enough to compare. 

Judy scoured the empty seats, at least the ones remaining. Most of the front row had been taken but there were a few good ones near the middle that was thankfully open. She sat down in a spot where there was a nice enough view of the board but not too far off. Judy pulled her necessities out of the torn overused bag she continued to use and then eventually noticed that there was a mammal already sitting next to her. 

She was an arctic shrew, a very beautiful one at that. And her hair had clearly been done by an experienced barber, all its loops and curls were so professionally done...The shrew suddenly turned her head at Judy and locked eyes with her. 

“Hello?” She squeaked, rather elegantly. 

“Oh! Hi, sorry. I wasn’t trying to stare, it's just that…I love your hair!” Judy exclaimed. 

“Aw thank you!” The shrew smiled. “I’m Fru Fur, what's your name?”

“Judy,” She replied happily. “Are you a student here?”

“Yep! I’m a senior so it's my final year. And oh my goodness, I just want to graduate already!” Fru Fru groaned causing Judy to giggle alongside her.

“Which major are you?” She asked the doe innocently.

“Oh! Um, I’m actually not a student here. I only attend the afternoon classes to help prepare the GED next year and everything…” Judy answered. 

“Now that you mention you do seem kind of young...But so mature already! I could have assumed you were in your twenties like me.” Fru Fru stated graciously. 

“Twenties? You don’t look a day over 16!” Judy proclaimed. 

“Aw, you're so sweet! Are you doing anything after this, I’d love to get a coffee with you?!” She suggested. 

“I-I’d love that! Judy blurted energetically. It was already time to start class by then so the two finished talking but she couldn’t help but tap her foot excitingly for the rest of the time. Judy actually made a friend! On her first day! And there was something about Fru Fru that made her sure this wasn’t going to be like Xena or Simone. Not that Judy was technically their friend in the first place. But maybe this could be the start to something good finally happening to her in Zootopia? That coffee couldn’t wait!

* * *

After class Judy and Fru agreed to meet up at a place that was supposedly a great coffee shop in Zootopia. Although, in honesty, Judy had been living in Zootopia for a good half a month now and still hasn't seen nearly everything. The pregnancy and entire moving from her childhood home to an apartment miles away from her friends and family have been sort of stressful, no biggie. But now, Judy actually had the chance to enjoy herself with someone who probably wouldn’t backstab her for their pleasure. 

They met up at Starbucks, the apparently popular coffee place, and talked for what seemed like hours until a barista finally showed up at their table asking if they wanted anything. 

“I will have a vanilla latte, please, and thank you!” Fru grinned. 

“And I...will have iced tea, without any caffeine please,” Judy exclaimed shyly. 

“Don’t you want to try their coffee?” The shrew asked once the barista had left. 

“Oh, um. Well, actually coffee isn’t good for me right now. Because...I’m….pregnant.” She responded slowly. Judy didn’t why she had actually revealed that so early after meeting Fru Fru but the thought of starting out something only based around lies just screamed for the potentiality of, say it with me, another Xena and Simone situation. And we wouldn’t want  _ that _ to happen to our favorite little bunny, would we?  **(This wall is beyond repair now, and I will continue to break it until it is as small as a cell on the human body >:3) (But no, I wouldn’t have another Simone and Xena situation or whatever happen again, that is reserved from those two and those two only, ok I’ll stop now) **

“Wait, what? A-Aren’t you 16?” Fru asked, confused. 

“Yeah...well the entire thing is kind of confusing. It's a long story…” Judy cringed. 

“Sweetheart, we have more than enough time to explain your life story. Mine isn’t all peachy either, but you don’t have to tell me if you want to.” She said encouragingly. Her heart warmed at this, not from the iced tea, which still hasn't even come or would probably warm her heart anyway, but from the fact that somebody actually cared about how she felt in the situation. 

“No. It's fine, I-I think it would help if I talked about it,” Judy protested. “It all started when…

**_*A long, boring, but intense, explanation later*_ **

“And yeah that’s about the gist of it.” Judy finished, waiting awkwardly for any type of response from Fru.

“Wow...C-Can I just say something?” She questioned.

“Yeah, go ahead.”

“That Simone sounds like a bitch.” Fru exclaimed bluntly. Judy snorted at her statement as the two shared a joyous laugh. 

“But really, I think it's pretty brave you were willing to stand up to your parents. I don’t think I could stand up to my daddy without having to deal with his polar bears.” She giggled, while Judy tilted her head in confusion but quickly brushed it off. 

“I guess I was still anxious about the whole thing.” Judy shrugged, moving the conversation. “I’ve always thought about living in Zootopia, I’d just wish it would be under different circumstances.”

“Well, at least you have the father's family backing you up. Nick right?” Fru pondered.

“Yep, he’s just been amazing about all of it. Makes me wonder if I should just marry him and spend the rest of our lives together…” Judy mumbled while absentmindedly playing with the straw of her drink. 

“He sounds like a catch, unlike  _ my _ boyfriend. And if you do plan on having a wedding together someday I’d suggest a sweetheart neckline for your dress. Because it would suit you perfectly!” She squealed.

“Do you know a lot about wedding dresses?” Judy asked.

“Know them? I’ve designed them. Here, let me show you some of my past ones!” Fru initiated, already pulling out her phone. She tried squinting, in order to see the pictures on her phone clearly due to the size difference between the two. But they were somehow big enough that Judy could see them perfectly.

“Oh my god, Fru! These are beautiful, you made these yourselves?” She exclaimed. 

“Mhm!” Fru mused. “I’ve always loved seeing those big fancy dresses in the shop windows since they were always larger than the ones in Little Rodentia, and it made me wonder that there are different types of outfits out there I haven’t even designed!” 

“That’s great!” Judy smiled and happily continued to look over the pictures. For whatever reason they made her think of Jeanette and the others. The litter, at least the girls of it, always daydreamed about having some big country wedding. Jeanette always joked she’d be the first one down the alter. Judy’s heart panged at the thought that they might not even want to be at her’s. If she even decided to go through it all with Nick anyway. 

Slight tears pricked her eyes but she hastily focused back on Fru and the sudden appearance of a polar bear that showed up by their table.

“Miss it's time to go.” He mumbled urgently, while not trying to draw attention. Not as if he wasn’t stealing glances from the other occupants in the building. 

“Oh is it now? Well, Judy, I loved hanging out, I will call you next week to repeat it!” She exclaimed, hopping onto his paw, and waving to her while leaving the table.

“A-Alright! I’d love that.” Judy chuckled, mimicking the wave, and watched them leave the Snarlbucks. Judy perceived that it was around time to head back as well. With a skip in her step, she walked down the street in the direction of public transport, still feeling giddy after all of it.

Judy finally turned the key to the apartment door and walked in to see Nick with his nose in a math textbook sprawled on the couch. But what caught her eye wasn’t that he was studying, which she was so proud of him for, but was the fact that he was wearing glasses.

“Are you wearing glasses?” Judy gasped. He was so surprised by her outburst he fumbled with the book in paws and turned to face her.

“T-This isn’t-” Nick tried to argue but Judy was already taking out her phone.

“Oh my god, this is so cute I have to take a picture!” She exclaimed trying to find a good angel. He stood up immediately and tried to stop her but Judy persisted and the couple ran around the apartment.

“Carrots! I’m serious.” Nick exclaimed out of breath.

“Oh, but can you blame me! My day’s already been so great and this is just a cherry on top. You look so handsome and professional!” She whined. 

“So I take it your first day went well?” He asked, reluctantly giving up and retreating to his book yet again. 

“Maybe,” Judy sang.

“Alright.” Nick sighed, setting down his things, and happily turned to face her. “Tell me about your day, now I’m interested. 

She instantly went into a deep recollection of the last few hours. Describing last detail, even to how the sky looked that very morning. Judy told him about seeing Jack again, meeting Fru Fru, everything she’d learned in her classes, and even about the few small moments when thoughts of her family managed to re-enter her mind. Sure, it may be a little dramatic, theatrical even, but her first day went well by Judy’s standards. And throughout it, all Nick smiled and listened intently. 

“And your day? Did anything fun happen?” She inquired after finishing. 

“Well, it was certainly eventful. I solve a city-wide mystery, won a baking contest, prevented a murder. The usual.” He smirked. 

“Har har,” Judy rolled her eyes. “You had to have done at least something besides studying that book?” 

“Not really,” Nick muttered. “I made lunch and visited the company again. But besides that, I went back into my old routine unlike you. You're already becoming a city girl of sorts!” 

“Pfft nooo, I'm always going to be a country girl at heart. But who knows? I think I can get used to all the big picture stuff. Zootopia isn’t that hard to settle into.” She shrugged triumphantly.

“I don’t know…There aren’t as good carrots as there are back in BunnyBurrow,” Nick argued. 

“Nicholas if you think I’m not going to give my own kits a chance of spending at least some time in burrows enjoying the food then you're crazy.” Judy huffed, pushing him playfully.

“Do you think there’s a chance we’d go back? Even with your parents?” He questioned. 

“I’m not sure…” She responded non-heartedly. “I don’t think I can fully forgive them, but they will be related to my parents. Still, I wouldn’t want to keep them a secret from the kits.”

“Well whatever you decide, I’ll be there,” Nick reassured, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. Judy settled into his embrace and smiled.

“I know you will…”

* * *

Over the next two weeks, the couple settled into a comfortable routine of sorts. More Nick than Judy since of his knowledge of the city. She continued her classes at ZU, enjoyed coffee with Fru Fru on Saturdays, and also reached her milestone of finally ending her first trimester. So now it means she was only drawing even closer to the end of her pregnancy.

And now her monthly visits with Dr. Firefox increased ten-fold. She and Nick were currently finishing up her 9th visit, and of course, obviously getting updated pictures of every ultrasound. Who wouldn’t want to see their own kits grow two centimeters every week?

“So um, now that I finished the first trimester will the morning sickness go down by any chance?” Judy questioned while adjusting her shirt to prepare for the ultrasound. 

“Oh absolutely,” Virginia replied. “Aside that chances for miscarriage should drop, and the fangs for the fox kits should have already grown in by now!”

“Great...that’s great.” She sighed, intertwining her paw with Nick. In honesty, the chance for miscarriage were the only things she had become stressed about. If Judy lost the kits...it would probably be the worst feeling in the world. That and having her own mom and dad practically “suggest” strongly for her to get an abortion before they were even born. 

“Ok...everything looks great!” Virginia beamed. “I think there’s even some fur starting to show.” Judy and Nick looked at the monitor and the beginning of small fur tufts started forming at the base of their muzzles. 

“Aw...they’re growing so fast.” Judy cooed. 

“I can’t believe that it only took you 12 weeks to turn into an emotional mother…” Nick whispered alongside her. She snorted and pushed him playfully laughing.

“Oh like you won’t turn into the world's most protective dad.” Judy snickered. 

“Carrots I assure you, I will most definitely become an overprotective parent.” He argued. As the couple continued joking, Virginia finished the ultrasound and moved the conversation further. 

“Have you decided on a name yet? She asked innocently.

“Actually me and Nick went 50/50 on all of them. Since we still don’t know the genders yet.” Judy explained, once calming down.

“Well, you both can find out at your next appointment if you're interested?” Virginia suggested. 

“Wait really?!” They both exclaimed.

“Yep, the ultrasound will be able to show more during the second semester so you’ll be able to find out. Not only that, but it can help determine if Judy will be having twins.” She smiled.

“Wait, twins? A-Aren’t most rabbit litters spaced out and random?” Judy protested, confused.

“Most are, but since your kits will have fox genes the chances of twins, even triplets could happen,” Virginia stated.

“Oh god...twins. I-I don’t know how we’d expect for that” She mumbled, fixing her shirt. 

“We could try asking my mom for help, she had me and Nina so I’d say she’s experienced” He suggested. 

“Right...your right. But there isn’t  _ that _ big of a chance we’d have twins, right?” Judy repeated, more frantic this time. 

“I’d say you both have at least an 80% chance.” She explained. 

“Wow, 80%...” Judy muttered.

“Hey, relax. If it even comes to twins we’ll be fine. I know it.” Nick said, comforting her. 

“Y-Yeah...we can do it.” She smiled, tightening her paw in his. The couple walked out of Mercy Sharara and began heading back home. Other mammals passed them on the street towards public transport but aside from that, they were relatively all by their lonesome. It was silent for a few minutes until Nick started speaking aloud.

“Isabelle…” He mumbled.

“Hmm?” Judy mused.

“Oh! I was just thinking of baby names. Isabelle was the name of my grandma so…” Nick suggested.

“Aw, that actually sounds nice. My grandma was named Harper so I wouldn’t suggest it.” She laughed.

“Why not? I think Harper Hopps would have a nice ring to it.” He joked.

“Do you want them to all have the last name Hopps?” Judy questioned, turning to face him.

“Well, do you? I wouldn’t want to force that on you Carrots.” Nick argued.

“Yeah, I know that. But, still, they’re your kits too. We’re in this together aren’t we?” She protested, latching onto his shoulder.

“Yeah...we are.” He smiled, holding her tightly. They eventually returned to the apartment, walking up the steps to their hallway. 

“Do you feel like leftovers tonight?” Judy suggested while waiting for Nick to open the door.

“I think we have enough food to try and make something.” He explained, finally turning the key. 

“That's good.” She grinned. They walked inside only to stop in their tracks. Because what they saw was probably the worst thing they could imagine.

“Dawn?” Nick and Judy exclaimed. He quickly went in front of her for protection as she opened her mouth in shock. 

“Oh hey! I was wondering when you guys were going to come back.” Dawn said as if she didn’t look crazy at the moment. 

“What are you doing in our apartment? How did you even find us?” Nick interrogated. 

“I stole the address from Sharla and climbed up the fire escape. But, that's beside the point!” She protested. “I kind of have to talk to you guys so can you spare a minute?” 

Judy finally moved from behind Nick in order to face the ewe with wide eyes. But what she had to say was nowhere near to a welcome.

“WHAT THE FU-”

* * *

After Judy managed to calm down, and I empathize with managed, she nervously sat down with Nick listening to Dawn’s plea.

“Ok let me explain-” She began but was cut off.

“Explain? You broke into our apartment!” Judy yelled.

“I know, but you guys really shouldn’t have picked an area with such a high crime rate.” Dawn shrugged. She inhaled sharply before going on another rant of how the ewe was a madwoman. 

“Why. Are. You. Here?” Judy demanded. 

“Well after you left, and told Karla about what happened, she didn’t exactly take it well.” She explained.

“Yeah, no kidding.” Nick sneered. 

“Oh get over it.” Dawn groaned. 

“GET OVER IT?” Judy screeched dumbfounded.

“Can you let me explain before yelling at me again? Jeez.” She side-eyed. Judy looked at her in shock again but another full 30 minutes of yelling at the sheep wouldn’t get her out faster so she decided against it and sat on the couch in defeat. Nick rubbed her back in support, which helped.

“Anyways, after Karla found out and everything she told my aunt who in return told my parents and I guess they thought that I needed to “learn my lesson” or whatever.” Dawn quoted, rolling her eyes, but continued. “So they're trying to send me to a reformatory school and make me learn it there.”

“And you came all the way here to tell us...why?” Nick questioned. 

“Oh, I was hoping that you guys would be willing to protest on my behalf. Because if my parents sent me to a reform school it wouldn’t bode well for my college interview. You’d understand, right Judy?” She grinned. 

“No! No I wouldn’t! I’m not even going to college anymore because of everything that happened back in Willowbrook.” Judy protested.

“Really? Are you sure...I don’t think having a highschool education would be  _ that _ good for your future. Have you thought about community college?” Dawn suggested, smirking. 

“Ok, I think that’s enough. Get out of our apartment. Now.” She ordered, standing up.

“Seriously? I just need a written apology from you and-”

“An apology? Why would I be the one apologizing in this scenario?” Judy exclaimed. 

“I don’t know, maybe because you ruined my reputation.” Dawn scoffed. 

“Sweet cheese and crackers…” She muttered, stomping her foot angrily and shaking her head. 

“Can you do that so I could leave now? This place is sort of not to my taste, I mean  _ those _ colored curtains with this carpet? I can tell your pregnancies’ getting the better of you.” Dawn chortled annoyingly. 

“Ok…I know that you probably thought coming here would just magically make me give you what you want. Since that’s obviously how you think apologies work, but Dawn! You blackmailed Judy using personal medical information! She is never going to forgive you.” Nick explained, hoping she would take the hint. 

“What you did, was crazy. And now you're here, after a month! Trying to ask for my forgiveness?” Judy proclaimed.

“You don’t have to be shocked about it.” She sneered.

“Dawn, I meant it when I said that I didn’t want to have to deal with this any longer. I’m not a confrontational person, even if I did scream at you for the last hour I honestly still don’t care what you think of me. But, oh my gosh if you don’t leave in the next three minutes I’m calling the cops for harassment! And don’t think I won’t try telling them about your crazy ideas either!” Judy challenged.

“Alright, fine. I’ll leave” Dawn blurted in protest, heading towards the door.

“Thank you.” She sighed. 

“But before I go, do you still think the apology can be mailed in a way or…?”

“LEAVE!” Nick and Judy repeated angrily as Dawn finally scurried out of the apartment and shut the door. Sighing, Judy plopped on the couch watching Nick move to the window. He looked out and whistled.

“She had to have used a rope or something because there is no chance she climbed a fire escape that is 10 feet off the ground.” 

“We might have to move.” Judy giggled tiredly. 

“You know I think I saw a box underneath the bridge near the docks.” Nick laughed, sitting beside her. 

“Nick, we are  _ not _ going to live under a bridge, I was only joking.”

“I know...but there’s only a small chance we could afford to move anywhere else.” He murmured. “This place was only on a discount for the size.”

“I guess that’s true...but we can make it. As long as no one else from our past tries to break in here again.” Judy cringed. He laughed alongside her. But there really couldn’t be a chance of that happening again. They moved to Zootopia for a reason, to follow their dreams and get far away from the mammals back in the burrows. 

So why would the same thing with Dawn repeat itself?

**To Be Continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry for the late chapter again. They've initiated a lot of COVID testing in my area since the cases have surged. But I feel good about all the promise from these vaccines on the news so let's hope! 
> 
> Anyway, I know the last chapter wasn't the best...I realized it even when writing. But I need you guys to understand that I don't have experience with confrontation nor do I fully acknowledge the law, IM NOT A CRIMINAL OR SOMETHING XD, I just don't understand what would happen if someone got a hold of someone else personal medical information.
> 
> I didn't expect the reception from it to be so negative, however. If you guys don't want to keep reading I still understand, fanfics are my creative outlet so I really like writing them for fun and to improve my writing, not as much for the fans. But I still love you guys! 
> 
> I'll keep working on future chapters, and there will be more meetings like Dawn if you didn't get that from the writing. I wrote her in this chapter because I felt you guys weren't satisfied with how I left things in the previous one. Judy will definitely have the chance to stick to Simone and her parents so don't worry. 
> 
> And sorry for the long time skips, I just seriously need her to have the kits soon, or else this will turn into the longest fanfic I have ever written. It's also the only fanfic I've ever written.
> 
> Lastly, it is now my Thanksgiving break so I will have more than enough time to write the next few chapters so don't wait too long!
> 
> And before I leave to continue writing, I wanted to address something that I read from the comments to two people. I am sorry that you both didn't deem my writing to be good enough in your standards but I would kindly appreciate it if you wouldn't compare my writing to crap as you stated. I'm only a teenager, I don't have the experience of others out there. Especially some of my favorite authors, so I can't assure you that every chapter will be the best. I acknowledge I have a long way to go but I will continue working hard until my chapters will make you eat your words :3 Watch out because in the future you both are going to see something never written before by me, a GOOD chapter XD
> 
> Anyway, that was what I had to say to you guys. Love you all, stay safe, and until chapter 14!


	14. Chapter 14: T.W.I.A.F (You'll Know What It Stands For)

**Chapter 14: T.W.I.A.F (You’ll Know What It Stands For)**

* * *

“I can’t believe she actually broke into your apartment!” 

Judy and Fru Fru were yet again hanging out at a Snarlbucks for their Saturday. However, this time she decided to invite Nina over as well. Judy had been living in Zootopia for well over two months, given it was the end of November already, and still hasn't felt that “click” with Nick’s family. His mother immediately grew on her, the twins as well, and she still wasn’t sure with his father…Nonetheless, Judy thought hanging out more with the family could help her establish a better relationship with them! 

“You’ve at least bordered up the windows since then, right?” Nina exclaimed beside them.

“Don’t be crazy! We aren’t post-apocalyptic fanatics like you and Cooper.” She argued. 

“But that maniac little sheep literally climbed the fire escape into the complex!” Nina quarreled loudly, grabbing the attention of others in the shop. 

“If you want…” Fru interrupted, “I can ask my father if it would be alright to lend Kolslov to help with protection. He’s very reliable!” 

“Oh, no it's not a bother! A-And I’m not sure if Nick would be comfortable having him follow us around all day…” She pondered. 

“I was wondering why there was a polar bear watching us the entire time…” Nina mumbled skeptically.

“Is there a reason he always follows you around?” Judy asked while finishing her iced tea.

“I’m not sure,” Fru replied. “He’s worked for my family since before I was born. I think it's a mutual agreement between my father and him or something.” 

“Well, I still think you and Nick should board up your windows.” Nina pouted. 

“For the last time, I am not turning our apartment into some bomb shelter!” Judy asserted. 

“Fine…” She mumbled dejectedly. 

“Anyway, I think I’d be more surprised if Simone showed up out of the blue compared to Dawn. I’m pretty sure everyone would have expected it to happen at some point…” Judy laughed.

“Oh, that vixen sounds absolutely evil.” Fru scowled.

“She’s more than evil.” Nina gagged, “Simone is one hundred percent villainous.” 

“The nerve of her after cheating on Nick…” Judy grumbled, stealing a piece of Nina’s plate.

“Hey eat your own food!” She shrieked.

“It's not my fault! I have to eat something every five minutes or I feel like throwing up.” Judy replied in anguish. 

“And yet another reason you should blame my brother for all this.” Nina proclaimed.

“Oh be quiet! We both made poor judgments but what's happening now is not a mistake.” She declared.

“So you wanted to get pregnant before you even turned 18?” Nina said innocently. 

“Of course not! It's just that, this turned out to be an unexpected surprise...Let’s change the topic!” Judy pleaded.

“Hey isn’t that him right now?” Fru exclaimed, pointing out the window. The both of them turned their heads simultaneously and saw Nick’s car parked outside the Snarlbucks. With Nick himself leaning in front of it.

“I still can’t believe he bought a car. Just doesn't seem like him...” Nina murmured surprised.

“He’s probably here to pick me up, we have to see Dr. Firefox again today.” Judy chuckled, remembering the errand. 

“Well hurry on out of here!” Nina yelled.

“Oh yes, we wouldn’t want to keep you waiting.” Fru agreed. They ushered Judy out of the store as she hastily grabbed her things and said goodbye. She walked up to Nick and greeted him with a smile.

“Hey, Carrots, ready to go?” 

“Yep! Come on, start the car already.” She giggled.

* * *

“At least there wasn’t anything to worry about from this visit,” Nick exclaimed after they left Mercy Sahara hospital and started to drive back towards their apartment complex. 

“Mhm…” Judy mused non heartedly, her mind here and there. 

“Something wrong?” He asked, breaking the trance she was in. 

“Oh! No, nothing entirely...I’m just worried I guess.” Judy answered, fiddling with her paws. 

“Why’s that?” Nick questioned concerned.

“I don’t know, because by the time we see her again we’ll find out the gender of the kits and that would just make everything feel more real.” She sighed. 

“Haven’t the last these last four months felt real enough?” He joked. Judy giggled at his humor and smiled.

“They have, I only have five more of them before we actually have to face the fact that we’re parents…” She trailed off.

“But…?”

“But, I think I’m not ready for that,” Judy added, her voice wavering.

“Carrots, are you kidding me?!” Nick blurted in shock. “You are absolutely ready for that!”

“At 16?! Nick, I expected to be headfirst into my college interviews by now and here I am already on the second trimester of this pregnancy I never thought about having.” She argued. He stared at her in dismay, his muzzle slightly open. 

“Do you really believe that?” Nick mumbled.

“I’m not sure anymore…I’ve already become attached to these kits, and I can’t start imagining my life without you or them in it any longer. I-I just think that...everything’s moving too fast. 

She felt Nick was about to say something in disagreement but her phone suddenly rang loudly, perishing any plans he had on initiating it. 

“Hello?” She asked, holding the phone to her ears.

“Judy! It’s Sharla, I’m here with Jasmine and we thought about calling you.” The ewe exclaimed energetically. 

“O-Oh! Sharla, hi…”

“Is everything alright? Did we catch you at a bad time?” Her sister's voice mused from the background. 

“No! No, everything's fine. I’m in the car with Nick w-we were heading back from another doctor’s appointment” Judy smiled, still fumbling with her paws.

“Aw good for you!” Sharla beamed. 

“H-Have you heard anything from Dawn yet?” She asked, hoping to move the conversation.

“No, not yet. My parents have been calling her cell non-stop and the only thing we found in her room before she left was her daily planner and nothing else.” Sharla grimaced. 

“So she still hasn’t come back yet? Do you think she already went to the reform school?” Judy pressed. 

“I highly doubt it. If there's anything Dawn isn’t, it’s not a quitter. She’s most likely hiding out somewhere else until she can think of a way out of this.” Jasmine added on. Judy pressed her lips together in thought. Maybe she should have accepted Fru Fru’s offer earlier? 

“Anyway,” Sharla said, interrupting her trance. “Jasmine and I should get back to studying soon, we just wanted to call and see how you were doing.”

“Make sure we're the first to know about the kits’ genders too!” Jasmine squealed, just as the call ended. Judy and Nick sat in silence for the rest of the drive. Soon after, he pulled up to the apartment and she hopped out of the car. Judy turned around, expecting to see him step out as well but Nick was still in the driver's seat. 

“Aren’t you coming?” She asked.

“I would but there’s a late shift I have to take at the company today. Some rookie messed up one of our expense reports for the month so I have to go back and fix it.” He sighed tiredly, already expecting it to be a long night.

“Oh...I can leave out some dinner if you come back late.” Judy suggested, leaning against the car.

“You don’t have to worry about me Carrots, I'll be fine,” Nick smirked. He moved forward to place a kiss on her forehead. She smiled beneath the embrace but turned to face him seriously. 

“I know we’re still only kids, it still feels like I’ve aged 10 years in the last three months.” Judy chuckled. “But I don’t want to do this alone, even if two years ago I never would have expected you to give me the time of day, I know that I won’t have to freak out anymore if you're by my side through this…” He grinned and looked back at her with a cheerful look in his eyes.

“You rabbits, so emotional,” Nick said, before starting the car again and driving down the road and out of her sight. She felt a warmness grow in her heart. With Nick, there wasn’t anything to worry about. 

* * *

Judy stepped out of her afternoon classes with Fru Fru placed on her shoulder. The two were strolling around the campus for a little bit until their next class. Their first one was short, meaning that she would have extra time to spare when the next one got let out.

“Even if I’ve been at ZU for the last three years I still haven’t seen the entire campus.” Fru squeaked tiredly from her shoulder. 

“Well, it is pretty big,” Judy exclaimed, observing her surroundings as they walked down the neverending hall. They continued like this, watching the other students pass by and remained in their watchful trance, captivated by the various aspects of the many classrooms. Judy chatted away happily with Fru until one moment when the arctic shrew pointed someone out a few feet away from them, urging the mammal to come over. 

“Oh! Cynthia! Cynthia! Over here!” She exclaimed. Judy turned to see who she was calling to and flinched. A snow-white vixen walked towards them and she couldn’t help but shake beneath her stare. She looked exactly like Simone. Almost identical. Their expressions, the way they walked, it was like looking at an illusion of her. But it couldn’t be Simone. Judy realized this once she paid more attention. This vixen was an arctic fox-like Neve, Simone had always been a Cape fox if her assumptions were correct. Plus, their eye color was different. 

Simone had striking black eyes while this mystery vixen had beautiful golden eyes. They were fixed on Judy and she instantly stood still under her gaze.

“Cynthia darling! I didn’t know you were visiting today!” Fru beamed, breaking the tension. 

“Afternoon Fru Fru.” The fox smiled. “Taking a break from classes I see?”

“Oh, we had a short one today so I and Judy decided to take a walk around the campus!” She explained. Cynthia turned her attention to Judy once Fru mentioned her. But the doe had currently been stuck in a trance and didn't notice. 

Cynthia...the name rang in her mind as she replayed again and again. Hadn’t Judy heard of her before? Somewhere in the past. It was fuzzy but she was sure of it. All of the sudden, Jack popped out of nowhere, standing beside the vixen.

“Walker! Sorry, I was held up with one of the professors and-” He trailed off until noticing who she was talking to. “Oh! I see you’ve met Judy already.” At the mention of her for the second time, Judy finally broke from her trance and stepped back into reality. Seeing Jack stand alongside this Cynthia made her remember where she had initially heard the name. 

“You're his girlfriend!” Judy shouted out of the blue, silencing the others. Jack immediately blushed at her statement and the supposed Cynthia turned to glare at him.

“You told her! I thought we promised to keep it under wraps since two months ago?!” She shrieked. 

“I-I u-uh…” He stuttered nervously and Judy felt that she had said something she probably shouldn't have. 

“I think our classes are about to start so we should probably…” Fru blurted, hoping to escape the situation. Judy quickly nodded her head in agreement and the two scurried away from the escalating moment. She hastily mouthed an apology to Jack and headed back to the classrooms with Fru Fru still on her shoulder. 

Anyway, after her last class of the day, Judy waved goodbye to Fru Fru and headed towards public transport. Nick was still at the company today and she had time to spare so maybe the two could spend lunch together? It sounded like a good enough idea so Judy thought it would be fun enough to visit the company while she was there. And she thought she should make it up for him after yesterday. Nick had always done so much for her without hesitation so Judy should obviously thank him for all of that. 

A short while later, after leaving the train, Judy walked around the district until finally finding Nick’s fathers’ company. The building, which was surprisingly big, had the letters T.W.I.A.F plastered across the front of it. According to everything John and Nick had told her the letters stood for, The Wilde Interspecies Awareness Foundation. The company was inspired by one of the first predators to get accepted into Zootopia mayoral council, a snow leopard whose name she couldn’t remember. From there, more mammals were inspired to change the way others perceived them, and the government continued to grow. 

But there’s still a long way to go until the entire city, the entire world even can coexist peacefully without discrimination. And if everything Jack has informed her since then has been true then the finish line might be farther than they thought. 

The company was made before even Cooper had been born yet, and only started to make bigger strides shortly after Nick turned three. And since then they worked towards inspiring even more mammals to start such a big movement. Judy fell into a daydream, imagining Nick becoming a manager of sorts here one day. She giggled at her thoughts and stepped into the building. 

The floor was tiled and seemed to have been polished recently. And the walls were painted a welcoming blue. The entire floor just seemed remarkable from the first few steps she took upon entering. Judy had been so captivated by the design she didn't notice the many mammals working in front of her. Initially, she assumed the foundation would be made up of more predators than prey but much to her surprise the ratio was pretty equal! 

Judy walked up to the front desk to see a feline, most likely a calico due to her fur color. Her eyes had locked into her own and she felt helplessly captivated by them. They were blue, icy almost, and it made her wonder why so many mammals in Zootopia had such beautiful eyes…

“Good afternoon!” The cat exclaimed, greeting her happily. “Is there anything I can do for you?” 

“U-Uh yes! Hi! I’m um, looking for Nick Wilde...Is here right now?” Judy stuttered nervously.

“Oh I’m sorry, he left almost an hour ago with some of our new interns. I assume he was showing them the ropes by taking them with him to some of the meetings scheduled today.” She explained. 

“Ah...alright.” Judy sighed sadly. Just then, two russet figures walked down the staircases ironically situated beside the two and her expression quickly changed.

“Judy!? What are you doing here?” Cooper, Nick’s brother who was also working with the company at the moment, exclaimed. His father, who was standing beside him, instantly noticed the doe as well and smiled.

“Judy, what a surprise.” He beamed. 

“Hi Mr. Wilde, Cooper.” She replied, smiling back. “I came here to see if Nick was free for lunch but-” Judy turned to face the feline, whose names she just realized she did not know. “Sorry, um, what was your name?” She asked sheepishly.

“It’s Leah,” The cat grinned. “And I was just telling Miss Hopps that he had just stepped out. But you're more than welcome to wait for him in the lobby.” She offered. Judy looked at her in surprise when hearing her say her last name when she clearly remembered never giving it. Leah noticed her confused look and chuckled.

“Nick has been talking nonstop about you in the last few months. Everyone here at the foundation has been excited to meet you since!” She explained. Judy smiled at the thought of Nick bragging away about her. Which only made her miss him more. 

“If you want,” Cooper interrupted. “You can come downstairs with us to accounting, we were heading over to drop some profit notes just now anyway.” He offered. 

“Sure I’d love to! This is my first time at the company so it’d be fun having a look around.” Judy exclaimed. The two lead her downstairs, papers in hand, and allied her the chance to glance around the brightly lit room of the basement while finishing their work. 

There were a few desks, most likely due to the small staff. And the room sent off a more laid-back vibe. Judy liked it. The room didn’t feel too intimidating. With how amazing of an impression the company gave off just from the first floor she instantly assumed the rest of them would be just as pressurizing. 

There were also a few mammals at the desks but some were empty. Judy watched as Cooper handed one of the accountants the stack of papers. She was an elegantly dressed skunk. At least Judy assumed it was a skunk, this was her first time seeing one outside of the country. The mystery girl eventually noticed her standing in the room and immediately ran up to Judy.

“Oh my god, you must be Judy, right?!” She squealed. “I’m Scarlett, it’s great to meet you! Everyone in accounting knows about the infamous bunny girl that stole Nick’s heart.” Her face went a crimson red after the statement.

“I-I u-uh…” She stuttered awkwardly, unsure what to say to  _ that _ . Scarlett spoke so quickly and with such confidence that it was hard to keep up. 

“Lay off the kid Scarlett, I’m sure she’s got enough on her shoulders and probably doesn't need your craziness rubbing off on her.” An irritated stag scowled from behind them. He was currently sorting through the papers Cooper had given them and had become annoyed by the scene the two were making. 

“Shut up Zack you were just as interested in meeting her as me!” She whined, latching onto Judy. He flushed immediately, mumbling something incoherent, and then returned to his work without another word. Scarlett giggled and proceeded to focus her attention on Judy again. 

“How do you like the foundation so far?” She asked before dropping her voice to a whisper. “If you ask me, Accounting is the best floor.” Judy laughed and smiled in reply. 

“I love it! There haven’t been as many mammals out there willing to acknowledge the fact that the community here isn’t as inclusive as most believe it to be. So this place is kind of like a breath of fresh air!”

“Aww, you're so sweet!” Scarlett gushed latching onto her again.

“Alright Scar you can head back to your work now and-” Cooper started to retaliate but Scarlett ignored him completely. 

“Oh have you checked out the break room yet?! Sam over there always brings the most delicious food!” 

“U-Uh no, not yet.” Judy shrugged nervously.

“What?! Cooper, you're the world's worst tour guide I’m taking over!” She scoffed leading them both upstairs. Cooper stood there dumbfounded while Zach chortled in the background. 

“W-What about your work?” He called out

“Suck it, Cooper! I’m on break!” She yelled back laughing but still dragged Judy out of there. 

* * *

Scarlett led her from the accounting room back upstairs to the first floor. She waved a quick hello to Leah at the front desk before the skunk continued on her merry way and dragged them up to the second floor. She led Judy to a long hallway until finally pulling them into a room on the side. 

“Hiya Sam!” Scarlett beamed, waving enthusiastically to a lemur already standing in the room. Judy quickly recognized her as Sam, the supposed mammal who brought amazing food to the break room every day. Her eyes were pretty too, a bright and welcoming yellow. 

“Oh hey, Scarlett. Are you here for lunch early?” She replied smiling.

“Mhm! And I brought Judy.” Scarlett grinned gesturing to her. Sam cocked her head in confusion before remembering who she meant.

“Oh Nick’s girlfriend, right?” She proclaimed innocently. 

“Y-Yep…” Judy answered shyly. 

“Don’t be nervous she doesn't bite!” Scarlett laughed, slapping her on the back. 

“You guys can join if you want.” Sam offered, interrupting. 

“Well, that’s why we're here in the first place!” She exclaimed, pulling Judy to the table set in the middle of the room. The trio sat down together, Scarlett grabbing two plates and some food from the fridge for Judy and herself. 

“Are you sure this isn't against the rules? Having a guest in the break room and everything?” Judy mumbled anxiously. 

“Heck to the rules, Cooper can eat my tail for as long as I’m concerned.” Scarlett scoffed, handing Judy half of one of the extra sandwiches that Sam happened to make. She took it graciously and just then realized how hungry she was. Waiting to see Nick took out more of her energy than she thought. 

“Aww, you guys started without me!” A voice from behind the group groaned. Judy and the others turned their heads to see a tall golden retriever with a sad look on their face. 

“Hey Isaac, did you just finish your rounds?” Sam asked and scooted to the side to make some space for him. 

“Yep!” He grinned wagging his tail, instantly changing his expression from a sad dog to that euphoric canine aura. 

“Isaac is the foundation's resident morality booster! He makes sure everyone isn’t feeling that Monday blues.” Scarlett explained. 

“They have jobs for that?” Judy questioned, surprised. 

“Only if you are some type of dog species, they always seem to make everyone around them happier.” Sam chimed in. Isaac, just like everyone else that day, took notice of Judy and began to say the exact same sentence as the others. 

“Oh your-”

“Nick’s girlfriend, yes.” Judy interrupted, feeling sort of annoyed at how many mammals had already told her that in the last 30 minutes alone. 

“I thought I recognized you from the pictures he showed me,” Isaac smirked. 

“By now I think almost everyone here had.” She sighed, eating another piece of her sandwich. 

“And I’ll take it you’ve already fallen in love with the company?” He pressed.

“You betcha!” Scarlett squealed, answering for her. Judy giggled and nodded her head in agreement. 

“I’ve still only seen a little bit of the entire foundation.” She acknowledged. 

“I feel like you might enjoy relaxing out on the rooftop. Some employees take their break up there from time to time.” Sam suggested, already done with her food. 

“Is the entire building owned by T.W.I.A.F?” Judy asked. 

“Not the entire building,” Isaac made clear. “Only the first two floors, the rest is owned by this other company. We used to be situated farther in the Sahara but moved a while back so BW had to sign this new lease.”

“BW?” Judy said, tilting her head in confusion.

“That’s just his nickname for the founder,” Sam exclaimed from the sink placed in the far back, cleaning her plate. 

“Boss Wilde!” Isaac grinned cheerfully. 

“Aw that's kind of cute, wouldn’t it also apply to Nick and Cooper as well?” Judy questioned, cleaning up her plate as well. 

“Nah we have completely different nicknames for those two kids,” Scarlett smirked. The group continued to goof off for a good 15 more minutes and Judy found herself reveling in the happy environment the foundation gave off just through its employees. Sam was sweet but cared for and paid attention to all of her friends. Scarlett was energetic and had a nonstop personality. While Isaac managed to keep everyone in the room smiling, himself included. 

After a little more bonding time with the group, Scarlett and Judy eventually said their goodbyes and headed back downstairs. There were a lot more mammals on the first floor than earlier but they were all too busy heading back to work from their lunch breaks to pay attention to Judy. But Leah ended up acknowledging them.

“Hey, Scarlett! Did you and Judy have a fun time in the break room?” She beamed. 

“Why wouldn’t we? Sam is amazing and we ran into Isaac on the way as well.” Scarlett laughed, going back through the experience. 

“Aww good for you. Sounds like you're showing Judy a good time here.” Leah inferred chipperly. 

“With me around, she’ll never want to leave!” She cackled while Judy chuckled nervously even though she knew Scarlett was joking. Just then, a feminine voice pierced through the first floor grabbing the attention of Judy herself and the mammals around her.

“Goodness Judy is that you!”

She turned around to see Victoria Wilde scurry up to her, Scarlett and Leah. Judy instantly beamed upon seeing her and ran up to the vixen. 

“Victoria! It’s great to see you!” She beamed, even if they had already seen each other last weekend. 

“I was just here to drop off something for my husband and here you are!” Victoria exclaimed, embracing her.

“I actually came here a while ago to grab some lunch with Nick but he had already left so Cooper offered me a tour while I waited,” Judy explained. 

“And I took over!” Scarlett bragged, interrupting. 

“Nice to see you too Scarlett.” Victoria chuckled and returned her attention to Judy, “Have you been waiting here long?”

“Oh not too long,” She answered, taking out her phone to double-check. It was then when she noticed that it had been a while since her classes let out so she must have been at the foundation well over her expectations. “Actually...I’ve been here longer than I thought,” Judy exclaimed. 

“That incorrigible son of mine…” Victoria sneered, shaking her head. “I can’t believe he would make you wait so long!”

“N-No it's fine really!” She retaliated. “Nick didn’t even know I was coming since I was planning on surprising him.” 

“Aw...He doesn't deserve you. Are you sure you wouldn’t mind getting introduced to one of John's employees? I’m almost certain that half of them are single.” Victoria suggested, almost serious which scared Judy. 

“I’m fine really. Me and Nick are happy together.” She reassured her. Scarlett and Leah gushed in the background.

“Daww...They’re made for each other!” They squealed. And speak of the devil - rather, speak of the  _ fox _ , Nick happened to walk into the building just then. Judy’s ears perked up once she heard his voice and she turned around instantly, already wanting to jump into his arms after a long day. But she stopped once seeing he was slightly preoccupied with the company's interns. 

“Clawhauser, buddy, the meetings go by easily if you keep it simple. You don’t gotta make it too complicated on yourself, ok?” Nick was busy speaking with a cheetah larger than him in size. Height and width. 

“Thank you, Nick. Ah-I mean Mr. Wilde!” He flinched.

“Nick’s fine with me Ben. Remember that.” Nick laughed, clicking his tongue in a cool, relaxed manner. He then proceeded to walk towards the front desk and lit up his face when seeing Judy. She ran up to him giddily and jumped into his arms.

“Hey Slick.” Judy mused slyly. 

“Carrots! What are you doing here?” Nick asked, a grin on his face as he bent down to kiss her quickly on the forehead. 

“Well...I  _ was _ going to surprise you by taking the two of us out for lunch since my classes got let out early but I came here too late to catch you.” She sighed with a sad smile. 

“Oh, I wished you called me. Then I would have made Cooper take the meeting instead.” He groaned, wrapping her in a hug.

“Nick it's fine really. Besides, I had a fun time here, went to the accounting floor, and the break room. And I met-”

“NICK!” Scarlett yelled, coming from behind the two. “I took care of your girlfriend while you were out and newsflash, she’s going to break up with you to hang out with me Sam and Isaac for the rest of her life.” Judy quickly shook her head in disagreement hoping she would take the hint. Nick merely chuckled and smirked at Scarlett.

“Good to see you again Scar. By the way, did you finish looking through those profit notes yet because I’m pretty sure my dads gonna need them by today…” He said, pursing his lips. Her eyes immediately bulged as she scowled at him.

“Touche Wilde…” She gave Judy a quick hug, saying goodbye, then gave Nick one more side-eye before leaving. He walked towards the front desk with her by his side and finally noticed his mother glaring at him.

“Mom...Are you here for dad?” Nick asked nervously.

“Yes, I am...Nicholas” She answered darkly. His voice dropped to whisper so quickly that Judy almost didn't hear what he told her.

“She only calls me by my real name if I’m in trouble...Did something happen?”

“Oh no she’s probably only mad that I had to wait so long for you when I told her earlier,” Judy explained, shrugging.

“B-But  _ you’re _ not mad, right?” He pressed.

“No I told you I’m fine, we can just head out now since your shifts over...It’s over right?” She asked hopefully.

“Y-Yeah! I-I’ll just grab my stuff and we can go…” Nick trailed off, still glancing anxiously at his mother.

“Young man we  _ will _ be having a talk about time management when I get home.” She sneered. 

“But Mom I don’t live at home anymore…” He said in protest.

“No buts!” Victoria changed her expression from angry mother to a happy one almost instantly when turning her attention back to Judy. “Sweetheart it was great seeing you here and I cannot wait to see you both again at Tamesgiving this week.” She beamed before giving one last goodbye and leaving. 

After a few seconds, Nick let out a sigh of relief, getting a giggle out of Judy and Leah, who had observed the entire debacle. 

“I guess I can just go grab my stuff and we'll head back home…” He sighed, bending down to kiss her once more before disappearing down a corner she hadn’t even noticed before. Judy rocked back and forth on her paws anxiously while waiting for him.   
All she wanted was to go back to their apartment so they could finally relax, and her trip to the company had become longer than she had initially wanted it to be. Not that Judy didn’t love walking around or meeting everyone here. But in honesty, she _had_ been on her paws all day and it was killing her. Even with the pregnancy it made standing for long periods of time worse. 

“Are you going to marry him?” Leah asked, causing Judy to become flustered immediately. 

“W-What...I-I u-um...h-huh” She stuttered, unsure how to answer the question but Leah quickly started laughing it off.

“Relax I’m joking! You just really seem to like him. Plus, he  _ has _ seemed happier lately, you're both good for each other.” Leah smiled. Before Judy had time to give any form of response Nick finally returned and instantly intertwined his paw with hers.

“Ok, I got everything. Ready to go?” 

She sighed and looked into those beautiful green eyes of his. Yet again proving her theory that almost every mammal in this city had beautiful eyes. Seriously, what was up with that? Anyway, Judy grinned widely and walked out of the building with Nick’s paw in hers.

“Yep, let’s go.”

* * *

“So you met Zack?” Nick laughed while the two finally trudged into their apartment after a long day. 

“Well I didn't  _ meet  _ him, he just kinda told Scarlett to shut up and went back to work,” Judy explained, taking off her shoes, which also served as socks. What they are she will never truly know. 

“That sounds like Zack.”

Judy moved towards the kitchen feeling in the mood to make some tea. After having to drop coffee and almost every other caffeinated drink that was bad for her she had slowly, not entirely, learned to become accustomed to tea. Her favorite was obviously jasmine. 

“Do you want anything to drink? I'm already making tea so I could make you something too?” She called out, waiting for a reply. 

“Yeah, I could have some - Ah...dang it.” Nick groaned. 

“What is it?” Judy asked, concerned. 

“I forgot to grab the mail on the way up, I’ll get it real quick and be right back.” He explained. The only thing she heard after that was the jangling of their keys and the door quickly closing. She sighed, shaking her head, and returned to waiting for her water to boil. 

After 5 very long minutes of waiting, the pot finally whistled or did whatever it did when the water was done boiling and she mixed it in with her tea.  **(You may be wondering why in the world am I describing Judy making some tea while she waits for Nick to come back with the mail? Yes, I know it sounds stupid and boring but wait……….like seirously wait, because something happens in the next two seconds so just ignore all of this like right** **_now_ ** **)**

Judy walked over to the couch, cup in hand, and was about to grab her book to do some light reading when Nick finally came back.

“Oh hey! Is there anything for me?” She asked sitting down. He didn’t answer right away, his face dazed and sort of in a trance.

“Hey...is everything alright?” Judy questioned standing up and walking over to him.

“Hm? Y-Yeah! J-Just saw a letter from Dr. Firefox that’s all…” He mumbled, fumbling with the mail in his paws. 

“Wait what? Did it say anything bad?” She exclaimed.

“No! No, I didn’t necessarily read all of it…just a skim and....” Nick trailed off. 

“Show it to me! Obviously, something in that letter is making you freak out, your tail is perked up all nervous like!” Judy demanded, gesturing to his appendage. He tried playing it off but reluctantly gave the letter to her, watching anxiously as she read through it. 

There were two envelopes, one of them already open so she looked through that one first. It was a letter, handwritten by Virginia, nothing long but Judy read it nonetheless. 

_ Hi Judy! Nick! _

_ This letter may be a tiny bit unconventional but I, unfortunately, have my phone and computer in the shop so this was the only way I could contact you _ .  _ Anyway, I was looking through your last ultrasound data and pictures and it turns out that there was something I didn’t notice before. This is entirely my fault and I deeply apologize for that! I’ve said it many times before, this type of pregnancy is rare and new to me but I will make sure this never happens again. But besides that, what I’ve been trying to explain is that according to your last ultrasound I was already able to tell what the gender of the kits will be. And I know I previously said that I wouldn’t be able to tell until your next visit but again, this one's on me and I am sorry for that. The latest pictures and data, including the written genders from me, are in the next envelope because I couldn’t fit everything. The choice of reading through is entirely up to you! If anything else turns up I will let you know! _

_ Sincerely,  _

_ Virginia Firefox _

Judy’s eyes bulged. She thought she had maybe read some words wrong, mixing up gender with  _ gander, _ or goner. The possibilities are endless right? Anyone could have read a word wrong and jump to the weirdest, impossible, conclusions. Judy quickly read over the paper again and when it said the exact same thing she did it again for a third time. Again, the same thing…

She finally acknowledged that it wasn’t crazy, the words were right. Judy looked up at Nick anxiously, unsure of what to say. 

“Should we look through it?” He asked. Her voice wavered at first, not entirely confident with the answer herself, and yet it still came out. 

“I don’t know…”

**To Be Continued…**

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Thanksgiving You Guys!
> 
> Do you know what I'm thankful for? Having amazing fans like all of you!
> 
> BLEH BARF GROSS I sound all sentimental :p 
> 
> Anyway :3 I hope you all enjoy this special Thanksgiving chapter, even if it's near midnight when I'm posting this and technically after Thanksgiving... BUT BESIDES THAT, I know in the story I skipped Halloween, there was just too much going on so I just decided to ignore it, but the next chapter will take place with Judy and Nick having Thanksgiving with his family! 
> 
> For this chapter, you guys meet a lot of new characters, Cynthia, Scarlett, Zack, Leah, Sam, Isaac, Clahauser. Too many to count! The company and entire chapter was inspired through The Office (AKA One of my favorite shows :3) So I was wondering what your guys' opinion was for the foundation? I would love to hear any helpful suggestions you guys have on it! It would help a lot! 
> 
> Also, a big P.S at the end of the chapter I had no idea what I was doing, I've never made tea in my life and everything I do know is either from books or fanfiction XD 
> 
> Anyway, I love you all! Have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING with your families! 
> 
> STAY SAFE >;3


	15. Chapter 15: Operation Tamesgiving - Is A Go!

**Chapter 15: Operation Tamesgiving - Is A Go!**

* * *

“Alright...so we need to grab some more butter and  _ then _ we’ll be done,” Judy exclaimed looking at both the list in her paws and at the isles around her. 

“Carrots we already have five sticks of butter and the recipe doesn't even call for that much!” Nick groaned from behind her, trudging slowly with the cart. 

“Yeah but you can never be too careful!” She exclaimed, still focusing on the list. The two were currently shopping at a nearby supermarket in the district. Judy couldn’t remember the name however, she wasn’t focused on that. Instead, she was strongly focused on getting the right ingredients for the dinner. They had been invited to Tamesgivng by Nick’s family and she felt the need to make something for them to thank for the countless hospital times they’ve welcomed her. 

Something that obviously didn’t need five sticks of butter as opposed to how she believed. 

All this, of course, wasn’t just some big distraction so Judy could focus on something else besides the letter. Not that it was the last thing she wanted to think about at the moment. Who wouldn’t want to find out the genders of their kits about to be born in 4 or 5 months? Judy was just very focused on making the perfect dessert for the Thanksgiving dinner. Nothing else. 

Nick eventually caught up to Judy and stopped rolling the cart to give her a serious look.

“Are you sure you aren’t just trying to focus on something else besides the-” Nick tried to mention the letter in hopes of finally talking about it but Judy quickly moved from the topic.

“Oh hey! We still need to buy some scarves!” She exclaimed moving farther ahead. 

“Scarves?” He questioned. 

“Yeah, scarves. I just realized I don’t own any scarves for winter!” Judy said with wide eyes. 

“W-Wait but we live in the Sahara district, it’s never cold,” Nick argued. 

“I know that....” She trailed off trying to come up with an excuse. Not that she was even trying to make an excuse for a perfectly normal request. “I’m just trying to be prepared! For you know...if we visit Tundra Town in the future or something…” 

“Ok...But are you sure you don’t want to at least talk about-” He tried revisiting the topic but Judy had already rounded a corner in a blink of an eye. 

“I’ll go check if there’s a shop nearby and meet you back in front of the store. Bye!” Judy quickly scurried out of the store, as quick as a pregnant 16 year old could run out of a supermarket that is. She walked down the sidewalk, stepping out of other mammals' way and frantically searching for any sort of store that might sell scarves. The search went harder than she thought…

Because one, she was currently in the Sharara district so why in the world would a mammal here want to buy a scarf. And two, she was stalli - I mean enjoying the view! Definitely not stalling…

Judy walked up and down the street in search of just about any shop with winter clothing until finally finding a small boutique that appeared to have something thicker on the mannequins as opposed to light clothing. She happily went inside, welcoming the rush of air conditioning in her face, and turned to look at the register in the front. There was a chipper mongoose, smiling upon her entry. 

“Good Morning! If there’s anything I can help with you today just let me know!” She exclaimed, tilting her head slightly as if she was a doll. Judy cringed but smiled politely, she reminded her of those overly enthusiastic retail workers that pressured shoppers to buy practically the entire store. 

“Thank you...I’ll just be browsing today.” Judy quickly moved out of her sight before she had the chance to ask her to pay for a membership card. 

She moved towards a corner in the store that looked promising. There were a lot of hat options, most of them very beautiful. But after reading the price tag Judy, for whatever non-related reason, had a change of heart about buying them. She was currently scrolling through a promising row of dresses when a mammal towards her left caught her eye. 

But then her heart dropped...Judy’s pace quickened, she continued to stare, out of fear, out of confusion. There’s no possible chance this could be happening. Once Judy walked towards her to get a better look she realized...it wasn’t Simone. The vixen, whoever she was, turned around and Judy was able to calm down. They just both happened to look the same. And after looking closely she clearly saw the differences. 

That was too close. Judy had been seeing too many mammals that reminded her of Simone. But that she-devil of a vixen was still miles away from her and Nick in BunnyBurrow. Yet even the thought of seeing her again shook Judy to her core. 

Out of desperation, she left the store, not even bothering to say goodbye to the crazily cheerful employee while leaving. Judy needed a breath of fresh air. And staying in a store with another Simone look-alike wouldn’t give her the option of that. She quickly moved back down the street in the direction of Tamer Joe’s, the supermarket, and ran into Nick. 

“Hey Carrots, did you end up actually finding a scarf store here?” He chuckled. Judy gulped, still slightly shaken by the recent encounter and smiled awkwardly. Nick clearly noticed her change in demeanor but could also probably tell she didn’t want to talk about it. He wrapped an arm around her while continuing to hold the rest of the groceries and led them back in the direction of their apartment.

The supermarket had been close to their complex so the distance back didn’t take too long. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long enough to get rid of the sick feeling in Judy’s stomach. 

Today was only about to get worse….

* * *

Judy waited as Nick knocked on the door to his parent's apartment. Bags of groceries stood at her feet and she felt somewhat better than the morning events earlier. She had changed into a loose plum dress with sleeves that went past down her arms to feel a little more comfortable but still at least look presentable. The scenario gave her a sense of deja vu. From the dinner a few months back...

But this time would be different! She was with Nick now, and they lived happily together in that small yet cozy apartment. Judy didn’t need her parent’s badgering the two of them at every turn. And if she had really decided to stay back in BunnyBurrow even after everything that happened that night she never would be as happy as she was now. 

The door eventually opened, breaking Judy from her trance, and they were met with the beaming face of Nick’s mother. 

“Judy! Nick! Come inside, please, please!!” She squealed, weirdly excited. Even after the last time she saw her son she looked about to snap his head off for poor time management. The two scampered inside, immediately hit with the smell of homemade food. 

“Cooper! Nina!” Victoria yelled after closing the door. “They’re here!” Two heads poked out of the kitchen shortly after. Nina was currently busy eating frosting out of a bowl while Cooper repeatedly hit her head with a wooden spoon like an angry chef. 

“Oh hey, guys!” He exclaimed innocently while still whacking Nina angrily. 

“Hey -  _ ow _ \- Ju -  _ ow _ \- dy!” Nina smiled flinching. Judy waved awkwardly and watched Victoria sternly tell the two to break it up. She quickly went to set down all the bags and started taking things out to prepare. Cooper hovered over her, watching intently, and Judy didn’t notice him until he eventually pointed out her ingredients. 

“Granny Smith apples…vanilla extract….a whole lot of butter…If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you're making an Apple Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Icing.” He smirked. She stared at him dumbfoundedly. 

“H-How did you know?” Judy questioned, surprised. 

“Never underestimate the knowledge of an amazing pastry chef sweetheart.” Cooper bragged. “Also your recipe fell out with the name on top…” She scoffed playfully and snatched the paper, then proceeded to focus her attention back on what was in front of her. 

Nick eventually walked into the kitchen as well, bringing the rest of their bags. But when he did he immediately moved to Judy’s side and dropped his voice to a whisper. 

“Carrots…” Nick pestered. She knew what he was about to say next, it was the same thing he kept on saying for the last few days or so. Judy desperately wanted to avoid the topic, afraid of actually acknowledging it and having to realize the fact that she and Nick were about to become even more serious. Not that they hadn’t been serious about everything already. Knowing him she knew that he would continue to bring up the topic, Nick was the braver of the two, he could actually read the data without breaking into a nervous seat like herself. 

After they received the papers from Dr. Firefox that very week the two considered reading what was in the other envelope. More him than Judy. And she was too unsure about reading it! W-What if they had all girls? O-Or all boys? The thought of that only made her become more stressed than she needed to be. 

Judy made excuse after excuse to avoid any subject of the envelope. She ignored it with a passion. In fact, Judy ignored it so hard she almost forgot about it entirely. That was until Nick brought it up almost every 10 minutes. She knew they would have to read it eventually, Judy just didn’t have the strength to tell him yes. 

She turned her head slowly to him and smiled. “We can talk about it after dinner. When we get back home. OK?” His ears and tail perked up instantly. 

“Y-Yeah. We’ll do that.” Nick grinned. He quickly placed a kiss on her forehead before leaving the kitchen, probably to go find his mother. And she returned to cooking the cake. Judy brought a bowl and started to follow the instructions. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, Beat together ingredients in a stand mixer until light and fluffy, Bake batter until a toothpick, inserted in the center, comes back clean. Stuff like that. She was currently hard at work, frantically whisking a bowl of butter mixed in with eggs thinking that it might help to have some extra cake batter in case there wasn’t enough in the first place.

In short, Judy was sorta freaking out. But it wasn’t like she was about to admit that herself. She was hard in the zone when suddenly Nina’s random snickering interrupted her flow. 

“What’s up?” Judy asked, still strongly focused on the bowl and not that envelope whose name shall not be mentioned again in this chapter. Surely…

“Your stress baking!” Nina laughed. She almost threw her spoon from how fast she was whisking it once hearing that. Judy hastily turned around, her nose twitching, which was an obvious tell for when she was lying. 

“N-No I’m not…” Judy mumbled unconvincingly. 

“You totally are! Believe me, I have seen this way too many times before. When Cooper was about to get accepted into a cooking school he spent weeks bakings  _ everything _ . And I mean everything.” She argued. 

“W-Well...That’s Cooper!” Judy protested, “A-And I’m only trying to...make a good impression…” 

“Ok, first of all, you’ve already made the impression of a lifetime. Being my twin brother’s first actually meaningful girlfriend in years and yet already showing up pregnant.” Nina added but hearing her mention the pregnancy only made Judy’s body stiffen. If Nina had noticed she didn’t bother to address it and continued. 

“Second, I know your stress is baking. And I’m gonna find out about what, mark my words…” She threatened, jokingly squinting her eyes and dramatically leaving the room as if about to start her “investigation.” Judy let out a long sigh, getting a concerned look from Cooper, who had just observed the whole debacle from where he stood. 

“Judy…” He began, grabbing her attention. “I know you might be nervous about spending your first holiday in the city with us but you don’t have to worry. My parents love you, Nina’s obviously attached, and with you around I now have a kitchen buddy.” Cooper laughed, standing alongside Judy and ruffling the fur on top of her head as if she was a kid. It was then when Judy remembered that he was in fact older than her, Nick as well. Nina had mentioned him being in cooking school so she’d say he was in his early twenties at least, even when most of the time he didn’t act like it. 

I suppose when things get really serious he actually puts the time and care to make sure everyone is safe. Just like that of an overprotective older brother. Judy smiled politely at him, mouthing a small thank you, before remembering her cake still cooking in the oven. She had been so caught up with baking extra batter, not that it was at all needed, and talking with Nick’s sibling’s that Judy hadn’t focused on her cake! 

She frantically moved away from Cooper and peered inside the oven to make sure it hadn’t burned when she wasn’t paying attention. Thankfully, the cake was fine, she was fine, everything was fine. Judy realized she had been saying the word so many times to herself in the last few days that it felt as if it lost all meaning. 

Judy could feel her stress rising and decided it would be best to do something to take her mind off everything. She started to clean up everything and set aside her bowl thinking there’d be use for it later. Judy gave Cooper a quick goodbye, the fox still heavenly focused on whatever he was cooking then still, however, returned it.

She left the kitchen and reentered the living room in hopes of seeing Victoria. Nick’s mothers’ enthusiastic personality could surely take her mind off of…..you know what. Unfortunately, Victoria was nowhere to be found. The mammal in her place, however, was in fact, John. He must have come back while she was busy with Cooper and Nina! 

Judy noticed that he was busy setting the dining table and thought it would be nice to go over and help him. Not only that but, it wouldn’t hurt to get in some bonding time between the two. She had learned just about everything with Nina, had basically become Victoria’s second daughter, and is now Cooper’s baking buddy. Judy had a strong relationship with almost everyone in Nick’s family except his father. 

John Wilde, as weird as it may sound when she’s thinking this, prepare to become very good acquaintances with your son’s pregnant girlfriend...! 

* * *

Judy hesitantly entered the dining room, forks and spoons clenched tightly in her paws. She saw John standing by the window on the far side of the room, he appeared to be deep in thought. Judy considered possibly leaving at the last second out of fear but it had been too late. The floor creaked awkwardly when she stepped inside and Judy immediately chastised herself for not being careful of where she was stepping. John turned around almost instantly, surprised. 

“H-Hi!” She stuttered nervously, nearly dropping the utensils in her paws from how hard they were shaking. Why had it been so easy to start a friendly foundation with Victoria but practically impossible with John?! Is it so insane for wanting to not act awkwardly in front of their significant others’ parents? 

“Judy! I wondered when I’d get to see you! Have you said hi to the other yet?” He asked, smiling politely. Judy stared at him in bewilderment for a split second before letting out a sigh of relief. The entire thing was just in her head, like almost everything else that her mind came up with these days… 

“Yep!” She answered breathlessly. “I just finished baking my cake and wanted to see if anyone needed any help, aaaand I found you.” 

“Ah, well thank you! That’d actually help me finish faster.” John beamed, heading towards the table. Judy quickly moved next to him and the two wordlessly continued setting the table. 

She thought the long silence might have become awkward but in reality, it was actually comforting. Nick’s father just managed to make the imagined tension seemingly disappear. Almost as if his presence was naturally parental. The type where deep down you know the silence isn’t a bad thing. 

Besides all that, Judy still became influenced by her clouding thoughts. The dinner would happen in a few short hours. Meaning that as soon as it ended, she and Nick would have to head back to their apartment and actually talk about the envelope. Judy desperately wanted to find out what exactly was happening inside her body, but the entire situation felt exactly the same as when she first threw up in her bathroom 4 months ago. 

She stood still, staring way too intensely at the spoon in her paw when John eventually noticed her behavior as well. There had to be some kind of intuitive gene in this family otherwise Judy was just naturally obvious. 

“You know…” He began. “I was surprised when you told us you and Nick were dating, even finding out you were expecting...” She turned to face him, eyes wide in fear, hoping that the sentence would be followed with a but. 

“But…” Judy let out a small sigh in relief and listened as John continued. 

“I’m glad to learn how much my son has changed since meeting you. You’ve really helped him get stronger Judy…” He expressed caringly. She stared at him with small tears stinging her eyes. Because that had been the first time Nick’s father actually complimented her. And Judy didn’t know why, but hearing that from him made her feel like she actually belonged in the family. Even if she and Nick weren’t legally married.  **(HAH….NOT YET…. >:3)**

“T-Thank you…If it means anything I’m glad to have you, Victoria, Cooper, and Nina in my life,” Judy mumbled shyly, touching her cheeks to make sure no tears had gone down them. 

“I’m glad, i-it means a lot.…..AND where in the world is my wife I haven’t seen at all today!? You know what, I’m going to go look for her. But, thank you again for helping out, and I hope we can continue doing this every year.” He exclaimed awkwardly patting her shoulder and walking out of the room in a hurry. She giggled watching John leave the room, he and Nick were exactly the same when something became too emotional for comfort in a conversation. Awkward but still invested enough for the people they care about. 

She finished adjusting the rest of the settings until feeling satisfied with the work. Exactly six fancy, the ones used for special occasions, plates laid out on the white table cloth. It was one of the festive types, with tiny sewn pumpkins scattered across the rim. Judy smiled, fulfilled with how the table looked and decided to head out and back into the kitchen to see if her cake had finished baking. 

Just as she left the room Judy was met smack in the muzzle with Nina eyeing her suspiciously from across the living room. 

“H-Hi Nina….What’s up?” She stuttered nervously. The vixen stared at her for a few more seconds before sauntering across the carpeted floor to look at her in the eye. 

“I don’t know…. _ Judy _ ….Maybe what’s in this envelope can tell me “what’s up?” Nina said, pursing her lips in skepticism. She looked back and forth at the familiar envelope in her paws and Nina. Her mind racked trying to think of an excuse. Lying straight to her face, grabbing the envelope and running, or distracting her by doing some weird dance. 

Instead, Judy chose none of the options and just settled on not answering and letting Nina explain herself. 

“I can’t believe you and Nick weren’t gonna tell us?!” She exclaimed. 

“I know, I’m sorry! We were planning on doing it maybe next week or...Look, he and I still haven’t even opened it so we still don’t know anything ourselves….” Judy explained, until realizing a very important piece of information. The envelope Nick had been pestering her to open and look through for the last few days was locked in a drawer in her bed stand. 

“Hold on a minute, how did you get that in the first place!?” She questioned. 

“Look I know I pulled a Dawn on you and everything but I had a good reason!” Nina whined in protest. Judy waited patiently for her explanation, although still irritatingly tapping her foot. 

“I was worried...worried that something was going on with you, or the kits, or just even between you and Nick. When you were obviously freaking out in the kitchen I needed what was going on….You're like a sister to me Judy, and, you mean a lot to my brother and I know he wouldn’t want to see you like this either.” She sighed, rubbing her neck regretfully. 

“Wait...So you don’t know what’s in the envelope?” Judy asked hesitantly. 

“Well, I assume it’s a letter. But no, I don’t know what’s in it. So  _ that _ is why I even have it in the first place. Because I was worried, but I’m sorry for invading your guys’ privacy like that. It was a very “Dawn” thing of me to do” Nina shrugged apologetically. 

“It’s fine you were only worried!” Judy reassured but hoped to move the topic so the envelope things wouldn’t resurface. “How did you even get into the drawer in the first place? I hid the key.” Nina’s facial expression changed shortly after she said that. It went from concerned and skeptical to morphing into one of slight pretension. 

“Well, it started when I left the kitchen and your obvious stress baking - ” 

“It wasn’t  _ obvious _ \- ” Judy intervened but Nina continued. 

“Yes, it was. Anyway, after that, I went to look for Nick because no one knows you better than him and I interrogated him for a few minutes until he broke.” 

“He told you that fast?!”

“Hmm? Oh, no. He just had a huge tell I recognized from when we were kids that helped me figure it out almost immediately.” Nina laughed. “Whenever something bothers him his ears while doing this thing where they twitch or spin because he’s always so deep in thought whatever made him so preoccupied.” 

Judy went back to reminisce over the countless times she’d seen Nick do the ear twitch thing in their relationship. However, she managed to catch him doing it more often in the last few months than any other time in the past. Had the envelope bothered him as much as it did her? Of course, it did! What was she thinking? If she actually just said, “We should read it and find out right away,” then none of this stress baking and whatever crazy observation Nina was conducting.

Seriously, what was with the intuition in this family?

“After I figured out that whatever was bothering you was bothering Nick as well I assumed it had to either be something about the kits or school. And the last time my brother worried over the school was with Simone but that story's a been, there done that, hated every second of it situation, so I knew it wouldn’t be about her again.” Nina scoffed but proceeded in the fascinating retelling of her plan. 

“As the concerned older sister, by 3 glorious minutes, I knew I should find out if anything was seriously wrong with the kits or you so I walked into your apartment normally with the extra key he gave me.” 

“Wow…” Judy gaped at her in wonder, Nina had some serious skills. “You know, you’d actually make a pretty good -” 

“Stop right there, I know I’d make the world's best detective/cop already but my passion is for something else. And again, I’m sorry for breaking open your bed stand and taking the envelope.” Nina blurted bluntly. 

“Wait what!?” Judy exclaimed.

“Relax I fixed it and it’s good as new, plus I didn’t have to waste my time looking for the key.”

“Ok...I guess that’s alright, I mean as long as you didn't break anything else...You didn’t, right?” She pleaded. 

“Nothing except my expectation for myself because seriously, I solved this case in under ten minutes. In short, I am amazing.” Nina bragged. Judy chuckled in response but quickly became serious, knowing where the conversation was about to go from there. 

“So...what was in the envelope? Is there actually something wrong with the kits?” Nina asked fearfully. She sighed, knowing it would be better to tell the truth then yet again avoiding the topic. 

“Everything is fine, with me, with Nick, and with the kits… What’s in the envelope actually will tell us the gender’s. Virginia figured them out and we got a letter in the mail about it a few days ago. But...we still haven’t opened it.” Judy murmured, averting her gaze.

“And I love Nick, and I really want to figure out the kits’ genders. I guess I just didn’t expect everything to happen so soon. Although in honesty, I’ve probably subconsciously been planning for this since the moment we started dating…” Judy chuckled. When she looked back up Nina was already crying. 

“Oh my god Nina! Are you ok?” She asked. 

“Yep....I’m just....really happy that Nick has you in his life. But are you really going to keep waiting to find out? I mean, you seem like the mammal who likes to prepare all the silly stuff before the birth. The clothes, the nursery, all of that kind of corny stuff.” Nina suggested, wiping her damp eyes.

“I-I….I am! B-But, actually finding out will make everything feel so real and-” Judy tried to protest but she instantly stopped her. 

“Oh bull to that! You love my brother and I know for a fact that you two are probably going to get married in the next year or two!” Nina shrieked, shutting her up.

“And since when has this haven’t been real? Everything with Dawn and Simone, already finishing your first trimester. Judy?! You are more prepared for this than any other mammal I’ve known, and that's not that many but still! The both of you deserve to know, not for the sake of planning but just for the thrill of it! They’re your kits, and wouldn’t it be nice to help figure out their names before they’re born?” She exhaled, slightly out of breath from her long but useful rant. 

Judy looked at Nina in surprise, the vixen had basically said what her gut had been telling her all this time. She didn't have to worry about going too fast with Nick, they’ve basically been going steady for the last two years! And who the heck cares about the stress of not knowing because of some small fears? Judy and Nick had the right to know for themselves, and everyone around them as well. 

“Y-You’re right...You're so right!” She laughed in realization. 

“Obviously! Now come with me to my room because that’s the only place that I have an extra letter opener lying around. My last one got put into evidence or whatever after I went to town on this jerk on the subway.” Nina demanded, still grimacing over the unknown event replaying in her mind. 

“U-Um ok...Lead the way!?” Judy answered unsure, thinking it would be best to not ask any more questions and to just follow her. But who cares? She was about to find out the genders of her three unborn kits! The only thing that could make her feel worse was if Dawn made a surprise entrance at tonight's dinner. 

She prayed hard for that not to happen.  **(Don’t worry guys, Dawn only breaks in that ONE time, she won’t do it again….OR WILL SHE? Just kidding she won’t XD)**

* * *

Judy excitedly walked into the unknown of Nina’s bedroom. It would officially be her first time there since moving to Zootopia a month and a half ago. She had already become acquainted with Nick’s, not so much of Coopers, and definitely not with his parents. So this was sorta progress! 

The room opened with a cold, stone floor pattern, causing the comforting carpeted floor to disappear behind her. Besides that, the rest of the room was illuminated with this blue strip light lined across the ceiling, giving off the vibe of a full moon. It felt peaceful, almost making Judy want to fall asleep right then and there. 

She was able to get a better view of the rest once Nina pulled out a cushioned chair for her to sit in while she grabbed the letter opener. Judy tiredly plopped down, feeling the ache in her feet, and was grateful that Nina had thought of something in time. Unfortunately, deep down she knew this uncomfortable feeling would only get worse in a few weeks anyway.

Enough about Judy's pregnancy, even though that’s basically the entire story  **(Breaking the fourth wall! You Know My Jam >:3), ** she continued to glance around the room. 

Nina had settled into a goth aesthetic for her style. But not entirely the one where the room would be likely covered with Wicca symbols or just completely black. The walls were actually painted a pretty beige that seemingly tied the room together. On top of them were hundreds of funny or inspirational posters, the only one Judy would call “gothic” or “supernatural” would be the one with a green skull head of a goat with the word  **Believe** . 

Something else that caught Judy’s eye was the tiny little trinkets scattered across her bookshelves, which she also had a lot of. There were random rocks, leaves, strange pieces of metal, or even just interesting objects any average mammals could find anywhere. There also happened to be a beautiful tapestry of the moon cycle hanging above her bed which managed to grab Judy’s attention just long enough for Nina to grab her letter opener and come back.

“Ok didn’t take me as long as I thought but I have it and now we can finally open the letter.” She smiled once returning. 

“Got it...Hear you loud and clear...Let’s tear the envelope a new one….Judy said awkwardly before immediately regretting it. On second thought, maybe it would be better if we came back to this and-”

“Too late it's already open.” Nina blurted, having already taken out the pictures, data,  _ and _ explanation letter that Dr. Firefox said would be there. 

“Ok then, I guess I’m actually going to find out the genders of my kits in the next few seconds…” Judy mumbled to herself while watching Nina read through everything. After a few more seconds she finally heard some sniffing and became worried.

“What is it?! Do we have some kind of error message on the paper - or is one of the kits already dying as we speak?!” Judy exclaimed frantically. 

“Sorry…” Nina laughed, wiping her eyes. “I’m just getting a bit emotional thinking about how I’m actually going to become an aunt...But back to you! Um, so the data says that so far all three of them weigh around 5 ounces, about the size of tiny bell pepper.” 

“About the genders! Not that I didn’t find everything else you just said also very adorable, but please!” Judy pleaded. 

“Oh! Y-Yeah, right to it. You are going to have………...two girls and a boy.” Nina finally confessed, showing her the pictures. She hastily grabbed them from her paws, trying her hardest to keep from staining them with any tears. The kits looked so much bigger now, and most likely even cuter, but what Judy focused heavily on was the last five words Nina had said. 

“T-Two girls….a-and a….boy?” She stuttered, still trying to grasp the situation. 

“Mhm, from left to right a girl fox kit, a boy, and lastly a girl rabbit,” Nina said, kneeling beside her. 

“Oh my god….” Judy squealed, looking back and forth between the data and the pictures. “I’m having a daughter, two of them! A-And a son! I-I can’t believe it…” 

“Judy….your going to be a mom. A great one at that, I know it…” Nina beamed. The two continued to squeal over the kits and pictures until Judy realized something. 

“Oh my god! I-I have to show Nick as well!” She gasped. 

“Or….hear me out, you could maybe try surprising him at the dinner. As, I don’t know, some cute couple thing?” Nina suggested. 

“B-But wouldn’t he be mad at me for reading the letter before him?” She asked, unsure. 

“Judy, if anything the moment you tell him that not only he’s having a son but  _ two _ daughters as well, then I am 100% sure he’ll just propose to you on the spot,” Nina said, giving her a knowing look. 

“Are you sure about that though?” Judy questioned, still uncertain. 

“Seriously? He bought a car for you to show how serious he was!” 

“He bought a car for the kits.” She tried to interject but Nina ignored her and continued. 

“He loves more than he has ever loved  _ anything _ . And if your still unsure, you can read it with him later as planned. Just try thinking about it, and maybe then you’ll know.” Nina recommended. Judy nodded silently in response, thinking over the situation and yet still feeling greatly unsure.

“You can chill here while you make up your mind, the blue light helps with decisions and stuff like that. It’s why I’m the amazing one in the family.” She smirked, laughing. “I’ll be back before dinner, just tell my mom that I went to do an errand.”

“A-Alright...Are you going somewhere?” Judy asked tentatively. 

“Just to check out something, I’ll be back...Also, um, are we still meeting up with Fru Fru this Saturday….?” Nina questioned before walking out the door. 

“Not this Saturday, she has some family thing that’s happening. But she can come next week to our Clawsmas present shopping trip! Why do you ask?” She interrogated, tilting her head. 

“Oh! Ah, no reason. Just wondering….and stuff. Ok bye!” Nina exclaimed frantically, waving goodbye then rushing out the door while slamming it loud enough to make Judy jump. She blinked dumbly, grasping the scene that just happened but just shook her head chuckling. 

Judy sat there comfortably for a few more minutes, basking in the blue light until having her gaze fall on a vintage clock that stood on Nina’s bed stand. It read 4:15, and that meant that her cake was only a few minutes away from becoming well done. And no mammal on the entire planet would ever consider a well-done cake edible in any way. 

She hastily stood up and headed out the door as fast as she could. Judy ran into the kitchen, expecting to smell something burning or at the very least be on the bridge of burning. But, no, everything was fine, she only saw Cooper handling the cake with two blue oven mitts on his paws.

“Hey, Judy! Your cake had finished so I thought I should take it out in case a fire started.” He smiled. 

“Oh thank goodness, you are amazing Cooper! Thank you!” She exhaled, walking up to hug him gratefully. He let one arm wrap around her shoulder while the other one held the cake tightly in fear of dropping it. 

“Don’t worry about it, but I’ll just tell you now that it smells  _ amazing _ ! You obviously used the right amount of cinnamon.” Cooper sang praisingly. 

“Aw thanks, I learned from the best!” She giggled. He quickly set down the cake allowing the two to have a better look at it. Judy grabbed a toothpick from a nearby drawer and poked it inside the middle, when she took it out it was completely clean. 

“Perfect, cooked evenly on all parts.” She murmured happily. 

“Oh by the way,” Cooper exclaimed from beside her. “I had a lot of ingredients leftover so you can use it to make the cream cheese frosting!”

“Wait then what should I do about the ingredients I already bought in the first place?” Judy asked confused. 

“You can try baking some more of it and send it to your family! Only if you want to of course.” He suggested. “Anyway, I have to go check on the cricket bread I left on the balcony. I’m sunbaking them!” Cooper gave her one last hug before leaving the kitchen. She stood there for a few more minutes, absentmindedly staring at the cake in front, her eyes stayed there once Cooper mentioned her family. 

Judy constantly talked with Jasmine and Sharla. But the communication between her parents was left nonexistent. And the worst of it was that she hadn’t even deleted their contacts! Embarrassingly enough she sometimes stared at them, contemplating the idea of calling and checking up.

But why would Judy even have to do that in the first place? She had run out of BunnyBurrow for a reason. Plus, it wasn’t as if her parents had been begging to talk to her since their last phone call…. 

Judy had been deep in her aggravating trance, fanning the heck out of her cake in hopes of it cooling down faster, when all of the sudden her phone started ringing from the countertop. She quickly grabbed it, still fanning the cake, and noticed the caller id read Jasmine, trying to request a Muzzletime from Judy. She excitingly accepted, wondering how her sister's Tamesgiving would be going. Until, she realized that every Tamesgiving would always be held back home, with her parents. 

But it was too late, the call opened showing Jasmine eagerly smiling at the screen. 

“Ahh, Judy! Hii!!” She squealed. Judy was able to get a better look at her and noticed the carrot color apron tied around her waist. 

“Hey, Jasmine. Are you still cooking?” She asked. 

“Well, you know how it is with everyone on the holidays, too many mouths to feed and never enough food. Especially after all the relatives come over as well.” Jasmine groaned. 

“Yeah….I know.” Judy mumbled quietly. “Wait, are you alone right now? Where even are you?” She asked, changing the topic. 

“Oh well I wanted to take a break from how cramped it was inside, I’m hanging out on the small attic in the barn we used to hide in.” 

“Our hideout….! I remember that there was always so much dust but it looked like a completely different world at night.” Judy giggled reminiscing.

“Are you cooking something right now as well? I’m only asking because you look like your stress baking.” Jasmine smirked. 

“Why does everyone keep saying that?! I do not stress bake!” She whined angrily but continued to fan the cake. 

“But seriously, is everything ok? Is it the kits? Are they ok?!” Jasmine pressed, concerned. 

“No! Everything’s fine with them, and with me. I’m just….a tiny bit nervous to have my first holiday with Nick’s family. They’ve all been so sweet and I just really wanted to make it up to them…” She answered shyly. 

“Judy, everything you’ve told me about them in the past months makes me know for a fact that they’ll love you no matter what. Nick more than anyone else!” Jasmine argued.

“I know that! 100% I’m in love with him too!” Judy exclaimed. 

“Awww. Oh god, I should probably head back! Jullian is going to accuse me of slacking if I’m not in the kitchen cooking in the next 5 minutes.” She sighed. 

“Well Jullian is a stickler for mammals not listening to his scheduled agenda,” Judy added, laughing. 

“He gets so cute when he’s angry though!” Jasmine squealed. 

“Yes! His glasses always go crooked and one of his ears flops down adorably.” She agreed. The two continued gushing over their brother’s quirk until Jasmine really had to start heading back. 

“I miss you tons! But I’ll be there at Clawsmas, Sharla too!” She reassured her. 

“I know, I can’t wait to see you guys again. You’ll both love the city! Oh and tell your girlfriend I said hi too!” Judy teased mischievously. 

“Caroline isn’t my girlfriend!” She exclaimed blushing before ending the call. Judy giggled at her sister’s flushed state and went to return her attention back to the cake. It had finished cooling down so Judy went to grab Cooper’s frosting ingredients and started prepping. 

She was doing her finishing touches, making the final adjustments on the cake when Nick walked into the kitchen to see her hard at work. 

“Hey Carrots, you almost done?” He questioned in a calm demeanor. Surprised, Judy spun around to see her boyfriend looking at her from the doorway. And suddenly everything that went down in Nina’s bedroom played back in her mind. 

“H-Heyyyy Slick….Whatcha doing?” She smiled, feeling her nose twitch suspiciously. 

“I came to look for you….Is everything alright? You’re stress perfectioning.” Nick accused.

“How many of these do I even have?! Nevermind, uh, did you need me for something?” Judy asked. 

“Yeah, for dinner. It’s 5:00 pm didn’t you notice it?” He laughed pointing towards the electric clock above the oven. Judy swung her head around in horror, only now realizing she had been in the kitchen for longer than expected. But it wasn’t that she was worried about, it was the fact that she now had to make a choice.

Does Judy tell Nick she read the letter? Or wait?

* * *

The couple entered the dining room shortly after, but her paws shook nervously while placing the cake down on the table. Thankfully, the only mammals that noticed were Nick and Nina. He kept sending concerned glances her way ever since the kitchen. And it only made Judy’s situation 10 times more stressful. 

“Sweetheart I loved how you and Judy arranged the settings! It makes everything look so fancy!” Victoria squealed, breaking some of the tension in the room. 

“I only followed what John was doing,” Judy interjected, sitting down beside Nick. “He’s a pro so it was really because of him.”

“Oh, nonsense.” He argued. “Judy helped tremendously.” She chuckled awkwardly when two sent her grateful expressions. Didn’t know setting the table would be such a big help during a Thanksgiving dinner with six mammals. 

Judy returned her attention to the dinner. And in short, Cooper did a spectacular job. He even added different vegan options for her! He appeared pleased with the work with how content his smile looked. But his stare remained focused on the cricket bread rather than anything else. She also snuck some glances at her own cake, feeling accomplished to finish it just in time. 

Nina broke the silence when she stood up tapping her glass, indicating the start of a toast. 

“I’d just like to say that I’m very grateful we were all able to spend some time together this Tamesgiving. And I am very happy that Judy was able to join us this year with Nick. Honestly, you guys are the cutest couple I’ve ever seen and I’m grateful my brother has someone to keep him from doing stupid things all the time.” She exclaimed seriously. Nick rolled his eyes playfully at her but eventually settled into a smile and glanced at Judy. She smiled back, intertwining their paws beneath the table. 

“Also I’m sorry I broke your bed stand but don’t worry! I totally found you guys a better one!” Nina bragged confidently. 

“Wait what?” Nick proclaimed. “You broke our bed stand?”

“It's a story for later don’t worry about it. Anyway, I’m glad we're all here and that Judy and Cooper made such an amazing dinner.” She finished, sitting down, but immediately stood back up once Cooper interrupted. 

“I sunbaked the bread!” He yelled, feeling the need to mention how proud of the bread he was.

“Yes Cooper, we know all about your fancy cooking techniques. Now shut up and let’s eat!” Nina glared. 

“Now hold on, we still haven’t let everyone else have a chance to say what they're grateful for!” Victoria chastised. “I’m grateful for my three amazing children, my handsome and loveable husband, and for Judy. You are the best thing that has happened to us this year, and I cannot believe my Nicholas waited so long to welcome you into our lives.” 

Judy bit her lip, trying to fight back the tears, and mumbled a quick thank you, smiling widely. It was John's turn next. 

“I am grateful for my wife, my family, including Judy.” He beamed. “And for the great quarter the foundation has seen this year, give it time and I can see The Wilde Interspecies Awareness Foundation only growing from there.” 

“Well, I’m grateful for that amazing name.” Nick laughed. 

“Hush! It isn’t your turn yet. Judy?” Victoria said, indicating the start of her toast. She glanced nervously around the table and stood up, slightly fumbling with the glass of water in her hand. 

“I’m grateful for….um.” Judy stuttered and looked helplessly at Nick, the look in his eyes said to go on, to keep going and she knew she should listen to him. Her heart pounded, but for once in a long time, even after everything that’s happened in that year alone, she knew Nick would still be right there beside her. No matter what. 

“I am grateful for...everything. The mammals I’ve met along the way, for finally finding a place in the city where there wouldn’t be any stress or problems, and lastly, for Nick. And the family were about to start together.” She grinned, feeling emotional. He smiled tenderly back and continued to hold her paw tightly. That was when Judy knew it was the perfect time, now or never. 

“But what I am truly grateful for, is the fact that we can be happy together. You, me, and…..our son and two daughters.” Nick stared at her in shock. 

“W-What? W-Were having a boy?” He stuttered in surprise, standing up beside her. Judy nodded her head eagerly, already knowing that there were clear tears strolling down her face. 

“Two girls as well, but yeah we can focus on the boy for now.” She laughed. Everyone around them started jumping up out of joy, Nina grabbed Cooper and started shouting. 

“WOO! We're gonna be aunts and uncles!” Victoria and John rushed over to hug Judy and Nick enthusiastically. And underneath all of the chaos, that chaos she learned to love, Judy was able to catch Nick mouthing a quick I love you before returning his attention to Nina and Cooper’s congratulations. She repeated it back before his gaze averted and Judy herself had to move her attention to Victoria's long story about how she felt when finding out about Nina and Nick’s gender years ago. 

And at that moment, all Judy wanted to do was freeze time. To enjoy the very scene happening in front of her. Because if this was the life that waited for her kits, for  _ their _ kits….then she couldn’t wait to become a mother. 

Especially with Nick. 

**To Be Continued….(And Happy Late Thanksgiving!)**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY LATE THANKSGIVING! 
> 
> Or late TAMESGIVING as it is stated in the book. I'll let you guys know that I'm sorry this chapter was late, but it was the longest one I've ever written almost 8000 words. But I promise the next one will come as scheduled, or else Julian might kill me for not being punctual XD 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and yall better prepare yourselves for the upcoming Clawsmas chapter. But.....I have big news! 
> 
> At Christmas, the special 16 or 17th (I haven't decided which it will be yet) chapter won't be the only thing I'll be publishing. I'll also be publishing my very first one-shot! It's very long and the idea for it was submitted by an account I kept in touch with on Fanfiction.net! 
> 
> I'm very excited and can't wait to publish it, but not yet! It ain't finished so wait! 
> 
> Also, I wanted to address what happened in the last chapter. Cynthia Walker and Jack Savage are inspired and created characters by this amazing comic I read a few years ago, I never knew the names but the title of the comic was Black Jack. Someone brought it to my attention and now I know, so I'm sorry if any of you thought I stole the characters from them but I haven't! Anyway, I just wanted to acknowledge that but now that it's out of the way I hope no one tries to accuse me of it again. 
> 
> But Thank You! To those, I'm forgetting the name of the accounts, who told me about this last chapter. 
> 
> Stay Safe! I still love all of you (But I got really worried because of how the number of comments dropped but I know you all must be very busy with your own lives I just got a bit worried) Anway, TILL NEXT TIME :3


	16. Chapter 16: Present Wars - First Edition!

**Chapter 16: Present Wars: First Edition!**

* * *

A week after the unexpectedly amazing Tamesgiving dinner. Emphasis on the _amazing_ since it had gone genuinely better than Judy had initially thought. Anyway, she and Nick were currently at one of her weekly check-ups with Dr. Firefox. You know, the usual. Blood pressure tests, ultrasounds, anything out of the ordinary that would raise concern, stuff like that. 

Judy laid awkwardly on the bed, as the pregnancy now made her feel sore and weird all over, and Nick stood close enough to be right by her side but not too close to interfere with Virginia's work. The two felt closer now since finding out about the kit's genders. Well, not so much “finding” since Nina literally forced Judy to read everything in the envelope as the awesome aunt she is. According to her, that is. 

Everything appeared to go through normally. She and Nick gushed over how big the kits had gotten, and the rest of the data showed promising. The only one thing, however, that  _ did _ raise concern, was the fact that Judy still hadn’t been able to feel the kits move yet. Even when sometimes, by the smallest of twitches, she swore she’d see them moving on the screen. 

“Are you sure it isn’t a big deal that I haven’t felt them yet?” Judy asked fearfully once Dr. Firefox finished going through everything. 

“I’m sure Judy. Most mothers don’t necessarily start “counting” their babies movements until weeks 30 through 31.” She answered reassuringly. 

“I think I’ve read that somewhere before!” Judy exclaimed, thinking back to one of the many books on pregnancies she got once really finding out about her own pregnancy through Karla. 

**(Gosh! Do you guys remember Karla? Feels like we haven’t seen her in years! Don’t worry though! She’ll be back soon enough. Along with some of our old friends too…. >:D)**

“W-What does counting mean?” Nick questioned, making himself a mental note to look through some of those books later when there was a chance. 

“Counting is where I would start monitoring the kit’s movements to figure out their schedule and see if they’re all growing at the correct pace,” Judy said, smiling in response. He nodded in acknowledgment, now feeling a better grasp on the ordeal as well. She was happy Nick at least put in enough effort to want to know what was going. Not that he never put in enough effort before.

The two left the hospital, waving goodbye to Virginia in the process when Judy suddenly stopped before getting into the car to stretch her back. Random aches started to appear everywhere nowadays. But what’s worse was the fact that she couldn’t even stand for more than an hour without having to sit down. 

Nick looked at Judy worried, concern lining his eyes. “You ok? Do you want to sit down?” She looked back at him, rolling her eyes playfully but responding nonetheless. “I’m  _ fine _ Nick. Just need a little breather.” He took this as an opportunity to get a laugh out of her and smirked. 

“Who would have thought the great Judy Hopps could get winded out by her own kits?” She squinted her eyes and scowled at him in a joking manner, but happily returned with a witty comeback of her own. 

“Try dealing with a pregnancy yourself then we’ll talk.” 

“Touche Carrots.” Nick grinned. They both climbed into the front car seats, Judy with some help, and Nick starting the ignition. It was silent for a few minutes, almost peaceful, and Judy found herself leaning against the cool of the window beside her. She stared aimlessly outside, watching more and more mammals disappear from sight. And It was calm for a few mere moments until Judy realized they weren’t heading back in the direction of their apartment. 

“Wait, where are we going?” She exclaimed, sitting up and turning to face Nick confused. He faced her with an all-knowing look, the kind that made her 100% sure that Nick had managed to figure out yet another one of her plans. 

“ _ We  _ are dropping you off to meet up with Nina, Fru, and my mother. Since, obviously, you were going to try making up some fake rendezvous later and try to cover up the fact that you're looking for our Clawsmas presents.” He chortled but instantly placed his eyes on the road again while making a swift turn in the direction of Judy’s actual rendezvous. 

“You sneaky fox…” She muttered defeatedly under her breath. “And who exactly is this  _ our _ you’ve mentioned?” 

“Why my father, Cooper, and I of course! Do you think we didn't notice the countless times all three of you huddled together in the kitchen once we visited my folks? Carrots, please, I thought you were better than keeping secrets from me.” Nick pouted. 

“Well, I did manage to keep all  _ this _ a secret from you!” Judy huffed, referencing her pregnancy, the kit's genders, Dawns blackmailing. Who truly knows anymore? 

“True.” He answered. “But, we both know very well that it is impossible to keep a secret from your one and only.” She blushed over the ridiculous nickname Nick gave himself once Judy accidentally said it to him on their “technically” one year anniversary. But can you blame her? Nick really was “her one and only” and it was darn time back then that she realized it. 

The two eventually neared the agreed meeting place between the girls but Judy felt the itching irritation to get in the last word. 

“Even so Slick, you still don’t know what I’m planning on getting you this year.” She bragged confidently, starting to reach for the door’s handle and make the perfect exit. But it still hadn’t been enough to break through Nick’s precise knowledge and ability to read her open like a book. 

“I don't need to know what you're getting me  _ this _ year, I just need to go over what you got me in the previous ones. You're the type to fall into patterns Carrots, not to mention that we're only a walking distance from the same branded store that sells my favorite pair of aviator sunglasses that you know I love.” He inferred slyly. Judy dropped her paw off the handle and turned to face for the final time. 

“First off,” She began, leaning over to face him in the eye. “Your suggestion that I fall into patterns is absurd. And secondly, if you're still my one and only then you’d know well enough that my present will trump yours come Clasmas day.” Judy had been close enough now that their noses were almost touching and close enough for Nick to initiate a kiss that shut her up even if she didn’t have anything else to see. 

“We’ll see Fluff. We’ll see…” He smirked once moving away and allowed Judy to blink at him dumbly for a few more seconds. She rolled her eyes and moved out of her seat, wincing slightly when letting her feet hit the ground. Behind her, Nick called out one last time, grabbing a small smile from the bunny herself.

“You know you love me, darling!”

* * *

Judy walked slowly once leaving the car and Nick behind. She took her time enjoying the sights around her while trying her hardest not to overexert herself. Victoria and Fru Fru had ended deciding on the meeting place earlier in the week, being the only two in the group with enough gift experience. Victoria with her motherly charm, and Fru knowing absolutely every store in the vicinity. The shrew had already completed her Clawsmas shopping over the weekend at Little Rodentia and happily agreed to help out Judy with hers. 

When she finally reached the specified spot Judy was only able to see the two mammals instead of three. Nina was talking animatedly to Fru Fru, who was sitting gracefully on top of Kolosovs paw. The two were lost in their own little bubble and Judy felt slightly sad to force its departure. But, nonetheless, they beamed upon her arrival. 

“Judy! Over here!” Fru squealed with bright eyes. She hurried her pace and gave Nina a quick hug while lending Fru her paw to squeeze. 

“Hey, guys.” Judy smiled but turned her attention to Nina. “Where’s Victoria?” 

“My mom decided to start shopping early. Saying something like, It’s unfair to the boys if we end up seeing their gifts early or bad luck for us as well. She’s superstitious like that.” Nina shrugged, explaining. 

“I get that. My mom always made sure we never found out about our own gifts when we were kids.” Judy giggled, feeling slightly weird about mentioning her mom but then realizing, it didn’t really bother her as much anymore. The feeling disappeared quickly once she redirected her focus back to what really mattered. Spending the day with her friends.

“So is it just me and Nina that need to buy gifts today?” Judy asked, going through her purse for a wallet. 

“Actually I already ordered mine over the weekend. Thought it’d be safer to have them shipped in instead of buying them now and having to deal with Cooper's nosiness.” She laughed in response. 

“But don’t worry Judy!” Fru exclaimed reassuringly. “We’ll help you find Nick the sweetest gift!”

“I hope so,” She sighed in response. “He always gets competitive over the holidays but his gifts are so meaningful that I can’t help but swoon.” Fru gushed over this but Nina had a fire in her eyes that screamed determination. 

“My baby brother always thinks he’s so careful and thoughtful with his Clawsmas gifts but this year I will make him cry when the time comes.” She muttered darkly. The two giggled at the vixen's sisterly threats and moved farther into the district in search of Nick's perfect gift. Judy only hoped she’d be able to find the right one. 

**~Meanwhile, in another part of the district~**

Nick parked his car a while after dropping Judy off. What she didn’t know at the moment, was that he was also planning a little rendezvous of his own.  **(Boom! Just did a P.O.V change and sorta freaking out XD. Never written from Nick’s view so I hope you guys like it at least :p)** He planned on meeting up with Cooper and a friend of his to figure out what exactly to get her this year for the holidays. 

Honestly, he was ecstatic when Judy wanted to actually become more serious those few months back. And she only continued to surprise him from there in unexpected yet amazing ways. Finding out about their kits' genders on Tamesgiving was the best feeling in the world, and it only made things even better to share that feeling with Judy as well. 

So that was why he needed to find something this year that showed that. Something that showed how much he loved her, how glad he was that she was in his life. Judy was capable of erasing the past, of making everything seem a little brighter. And Nick only wanted her to know that. 

He knew what to get his family, Nina specifically since the two had been tied at the hip since the moment they were born. But what eluded him was figuring out the perfect gift for Judy. She was amazing, just plain amazing. So finding a gift for this perfect girlfriend had to have been the hardest thing he’s ever had to do. Besides even telling his parents about Judy in the first place all the while ago. 

Nick initially thought about getting something related to violets, since they reminded him so much of her and they were also Judy’s favorite flower. But just getting flowers as a gift seemed more like something for an anniversary gift or even on a birthday. He wanted this one to be...meaningful. Something also just showed how he really felt. He eventually figured it out even before Tamesgiving. Seeing something similar to what he was going for in some window while driving to work one day. 

“Hey baby bro!” Cooper was in his line of vision before he even had the chance to finish his thought. Nick scowled playfully, feeling slightly irritated that his brother still treated him as the “baby” of the family in more ways than one. The older fox ruffled the fur on top of his head in that annoying brotherly way once he walked up to him. 

The two embraced in one of those manly hugs you see on T.V. The one where they had hugged only with one arm but still gave a hard slap on the back like egoistic football players after finishing a game. 

“Are you ready to get your  _ lady love _ some cheesy romantic gift?” Cooper snickered, teasing him theatrically. 

“Har har,” Nick said, rolling his eyes in response. “At least I have the courage to admit I love her. Not like you and your helpless pining over some “crazy hot” girl in your morning class.” 

“Shut up, I have a plan! I’m just….still working through it and stuff…” He mumbled embarrassingly. 

“Sure, as long as this “plan” starts at point A, weirdly stalking her, and ends at point B, delusion.” Nick laughed, smirking. 

“Well, it isn’t like dad passed on his handsome charms to me through genetics like you and Nina!” Cooper whined.

“Dude just relax and be yourself! Seriously. You're smart, you can cook, you have most of dad's looks while still being as sensitive as mom.” He stated while Cooper rolled his eyes jokingly. “Just invite her to dinner or something. Better yet, invite her over for the holidays, you can’t go wrong with something as friendly as that.” 

Cooper let out a long sigh at this, most likely deep in thought, and Nick, almost through some brotherly instinct, threw an arm around his shoulder comfortingly in hopes of cheering him up. Which was easy since the two were similar in height and Cooper was just a natural optimist. 

Nick led the way towards the other member of their group and had a worried feeling that he might not be happy to see them. He and Cooper eventually turned a corner downtown and closed up to an alleyway of sorts. They stopped in front of a large rustic van and waited. Nick stepped forward, knocking twice at the doors in the back, and then proceeded to pull himself and Cooper out of the way as one of them violently swung open. 

Out came a livid fennec fox, angrily holding a baseball bat that was several sizes larger than him in its entirety. 

“WHAT THE FU-” He stopped screaming once Nick waved a paw in front of him, indicating it was only the two. This, however, didn’t make the mystery fox feel better about the situation. 

“What the hell Nick! You can’t just-” 

“Yeah, yeah, I know. I can’t just knock on your door without any heads up. Believe me Finnick, I’ve heard it before.” Nick interrupted. 

“If you’ve heard it before then why haven’t you learned?” Finnick screamed. Cooper came from behind his brother and recognized the fox as his childhood friend and old classmate in high school. 

“Oh hey Finnick...Long time no see.” He grinned nervously. 

“Sup,” Finnick answered, still wielding the bat and looking as if he was still planning on swinging it straight through his brother's skull. 

“I need to see a guy about a necklace. You know anybody?” Nick explained calmly. The fox rolled his eyes and scoffed.

“Of course I do. I know everybody, same as you. So why in the world are you bothering me when I have finals tomorrow? I know you left two years ago and mysteriously show up a few months ago out of the blue but you can’t blame me for what happened with your crazy ex and then randomly come asking for my help.” 

Cooper looked to his left in concern once Finnick mentioned Simone. But if Nick was bothered by this he didn’t show and simply continued with the conversation.

“I know everyone but this specific mammal wouldn’t be all that pleased to see me and Cooper. So I need a friendly face.” Nick asked. 

“Does  _ this _ face look friendly to you?!” Finnick glared, making one of the most unhappy faces you’d probably ever see. 

“Relax, I was being figurative.” He mused, smirking. “I need someone trustworthy. Plus, you owe me, man. Remember the pawpsicles?” Finnick grumbled, reminiscing over one of their old con’s when times were tougher than usual but didn’t respond. 

“What do you say?” Nick questioned, with a slight hope in his eyes. The small fox in front of him rolled his eyes but reluctantly dropped the bat.

“Fine, I’ll do it. ONLY, because I trust you, Nick. And you better not randomly leave for two years this time!” He demanded. Nick laughed, half smiling at his friend. 

“I knew I could count on you man.”

* * *

By the next week, when Judy finally reached her 19th week in the pregnancy, nearing her 20th, the couple returned to Dr. Firefoxs with more worries than from the previous week. 

“I still haven’t felt any movements,” Judy exclaimed, her nose twitching worriedly. Nick stood beside her, with a paw rubbing her back for comfort. The two became more and more concerned with each passing day when Judy was still unable to feel the kits move. But no matter how scared she got, or how doubtful she became with herself, Nick and Virginia were there to reassure her that everything was completely fine.

“Sweetheart it’s completely normal if you still haven’t felt them physically. As I said last week, most mothers at this point don’t either. We can only truly raise concern if this trend continues into the last few weeks of your second trimester.” She repeated once the ultrasound finished. 

As usual, everything on the screen looked normal and promising, but on the inside, Judy felt as if something bad could happen at any second. Nick noticed this while trying and doing everything he could to make her feel more at ease. He even went out of his way and used his own money and bought enough baby preparation books to last his reading for the entire year. 

“If it makes you both feel any better since Judy is in her fifth month of the pregnancy she only has four more left?” Virginia smiled awkwardly, hoping to ease some of the tension in the room. But it did help. 

“That's...good news. Right?” Judy mused, turning to Nick.

“Absolutely.” He beamed, placing a kiss on her forehead as she leaned her head against his chest tiredly. 

“Have you guys decided on any names yet?” Virginia pressed innocently while adjusting her clipboard and turning off the nearby screen. 

“Well, we’ve only managed to get through half of our agreed original 50 names.” Nick sighed, still rubbing Judy’s back. 

“But we still can’t decide because Nick keeps suggesting too many adorable names that I can’t pick one!” She whined in response, melting into Nick’s embrace frustratedly. 

“Aww,” Virginia cooed. “I bet you’ll both be amazing parents even facing a lot of trouble with the name picking. The couple smiled at the doctor, then each other, of course. 

“Although I do have to let you two know that I won’t be able to see Judy next week.” Dr. Firefox exclaimed sadly, regaining the attention of the two.

“What, why?” Nick questioned, confused.

“With the holidays coming the hospital will be more preoccupied. And my schedule is already cramped enough as is with everything at the moment. However! I can meet you both on the 20th. It’ll be my last day in the city before I leave for Clawsmas.” She suggested. Judy did the math in her head and by the time it was the 20th she’d be on her 21st week. Meaning that they’d be able to get a 3D ultrasound scan of the kits. 

She could wait until then. Judy turned to look at Nick and he nodded his head in agreement. They would come back on the 20th. 

Judy and Nick wished a good weekend to Dr. Firefox and the other well-known employees upon their departure from the hospital and eventually headed towards public transport. They recently decided it would be better to focus their gas money on more important things as opposed to taking care of the car all the time. All the extra money could be helpful in the future once the kits are born anyway.

Nick even suggested selling the car, thinking that the purpose of it might become tiresome further along. But Judy instantly protested, saying that it was technically one of their first impulsive money decisions together, even if Nick had bought it by himself initially. She loved the reminder it gave her, the reminder that Nick was in this, no matter what. 

They entered the cramped train car but thankfully a pair of gossiping zebras caught sight of the exhausted look in Judy’s eyes and moved out of their seats, quickly offering them up. They seemed in their early thirties, definitely not older than forty, however. 

“Thank you.” She exclaimed, sitting down next to Nick and stretching her back. 

“It's not a problem darling! How far along are you?” One of them asked excitingly. 

“Oh! Um, I’m only at 19 weeks right now, going on 20. But I’m expecting three of them so I might look farther along.” Judy chuckled awkwardly, not having any experience with talking about her pregnancy with mammals who weren’t her own friends or Nick’s family. 

“Wow, only 19!” The other one proclaimed alongside her friend. “You look so fit I’d assume you were still in your first trimester. 

“Sam there are hundreds of mammals who could be fit and still show enough to tell that they’re pregnant!” One of them argued. 

“Yeah, but I’m just saying! She looks so young and pretty I wouldn’t be surprised if she was a gymnast!” The other retaliated. 

“She actually took five years of track and field to get that body,” Nick added, getting a jab in the side from and a flushed Judy. 

“Thank you! And you are?”

“Oh I’m the boyfriend. Wait, no. Actually, the father.” He answered bluntly, throwing an arm around her shoulder to prove his point. If that really did even prove a point. Besides that, the two women quickly and quite obviously ignored them for the rest of the ride. Quietly whispering to themselves right across from them. 

Nick merely glowered and continued to hold onto Judy, but she only felt disgusted. Disgusted that some mammals could change their opinion on her in an instant just because of a statement they can’t even pass on as the truth. It could’ve been a joke, they both could have laughed awkwardly and said, “Good one!” But, nooo. Instead, they decided to be judgmental and not say anything at all. At least, not to her and Nick’s faces. 

What’s worse was the fact that Judy could hear their entire conversation, no matter how quiet they spoke. She lowered her ears against her back in hopes of blocking any stray words loud enough to be heard. But the scene still stung. Seeing mammals still react shocked when even hearing the suggestion that a fox and a bunny could be together.

They sat agitatedly for the rest of the ride as more and more passengers sent subjective looks their way. Most likely overhearing their conversation with the two zebras. 

Thankfully, they reached their stop, and Nick helped Judy sit up quick enough so the two could get out of there before anyone else decided to make their opinion clear. They ran outside public transport before saying their goodbyes. 

“So you’ll be with Cooper for the rest of the day right?” Judy asked, feeling slightly better not to be in that train car anymore.

“Yep. You’ll be with Fru and Nina?” He questioned. 

“Mhm! We have our weekly coffee thing at Snarlbucks. But I’ll be home by 4:30, ok?” She mused, hoping he wouldn’t be able to tell that in reality, she was still with Nina and Fru, just not at Snarlbucks. Last week proved to be unsuccessful and she hadn’t had the chance to search for a good enough gift with all the classes she was taking. The GED was set for after her due date and she somehow had to fit in enough study time to make up for the one year of high school she was taking off. Junior year was stressful enough having to face a teenage pregnancy, but what made it harder was all the itty bitty problems alongside.

Anyway, besides all the problems and hardship, Judy had control over one thing. And that thing was getting Nick the perfect gift. Unfortunately, she was facing some trouble with that as well. 

The more time Judy spent looking for a gift instead of actually finding one, then the more time Nick had to get the upper hand on her. Plus, with each passing day, more and more items were getting taken by other mammals who waited until the last minute. 

“I’ll be home a tiny bit later, only 5:15 at the most. Ok?” Nick explained. 

“Ok. I can cook up a Dandelion Salad with some goat cheese if you feel like it?” She suggested with a slight grimace in her voice that he was able to see right through it.

“You don’t really want to eat that do you? He asked, smirking. That was when Judy gave in and groaned loudly. 

“Ugh, oh my god no! I want to listen to all my cravings instead but I can’t!” She whined.

“Wait why not? Dr. Firefox said it’s good from time to time to listen to them.” Nick exclaimed, concerned.

“I know! But, I can’t help but feel hesitant because my cravings go for the weirdest things!” Judy protested.

“How weird…?” He asked, unsure. 

“Yesterday...My mouth literally watered at the sight of a grasshopper pizza Nick. A….grass….hopper….pizza…” She whispered, feeling the shiver go up her spine at the memory. 

“Carrots. That’s completely normal!” Nick laughed.

“No it isn't! I’ve never had cravings for bugs in my entire life!” Judy argued, raising her voice a little before dropping it in an instant in case anyone heard her. 

“It is if you're going to give birth to kits with fox genes.” He said, raising an eyebrow. 

“Oh yeah…” She acknowledged. Nick chuckled at her dazed state and gave her one quick hug. 

“I’ll bring you a slice from the pizzeria tonight if you still feel like it. Ok?” He asked. Judy waited a few seconds before answering, still realizing the fact that she, Judy Hopps, a bunny, was asking for a slice of grasshopper pizza. 

“Ok….With extra cheese?” She said into his shirt, hopeful. 

“With extra cheese,” Nick repeated, laughing. He bent down and Judy felt as if he was about to kiss her on the head as a goodbye but then she felt him hesitate. Her heart quickened when looking up to see him deep in thought. Was he second-guessing doing something in public from what happened in the train car? Judy’s mind went over the hundred of terrible possibilities if that was true but was quickly broken out of her trance when, instead, Nick bent down to kiss her on lips. 

She flinched slightly, surprised, but momentarily melted in the kiss. Grateful, that for once, Judy and her own crazy subconscious were wrong. They stayed like that for a few more seconds before, unwillingly by her, Nick broke the kiss. It was then when Judy actually realized something, that wasn’t even their first kiss in public. Their first one had been around 4 or 5 months ago, back in that stupid debate in front of the entire school. Could you blame her really, however? For finally wanting to have the secret out in the open?

Even if it hadn’t been their first act of PDA, Judy loved the gesture nonetheless. Because this time, Nick was the one who initiated the kiss. She’d have to get back at him for surprising her like that though. One day. 

“I’ll see you later Carrots.” He said, wishing Judy one last goodbye before leaving the station. She watched him leave, ignoring the butterflies growing in her stomach. Judy depicted that it would be best if she started to leave as well, otherwise her “hang” with Fru Fru and Nina might be turned up again as unsuccessful. 

She left the station in the opposite direction of Nick. Feeling a slight skip in her step on the way.

* * *

Nick met up with Cooper and Finnick in front of the abandoned warehouse down by the docks. He felt a little guilty for telling Judy that the only thing he was doing was hanging out with his brother. But, Nick knew that come Clawsmas day, Judy would, hopefully, forgive him for going to so many rendezvous. They were, after all, meant for the purposes of making her the perfect gift. 

Finnick was wearing a large pair of aviator sunglasses that took up most of his face. Cooper, on the other hand, was wearing a bright blue sweater and light grey slacks, looking like somebody you’d assume to be a master pastry chef. At least, that’s what all the magazines he reads and forces Nick to read as well, tell him. 

“Took you long enough.” Finnick sneered when he finally walked up to them.

“I was busy, now I’m here. Don’t get your pacifier in a twist man.” Nick shrugged, getting in one last tease about their old con. Before Finnick had the chance to make a threat or any form of a comeback Nick was already knocking on the metallic door. 

It was a specific knock. One with four quarter-note beats and ending with an eighth note beat. Nick and the mammal the group was meeting with made that knock together themselves so that way no one else would recognize it. Something about his friend being really paranoid and stuff. 

They waited a few seconds in silence until Cooper agitatedly raised his voice in confusion.

“So is there a reason that was - OH MY GOD!” His sentence was interrupted by screaming, from himself or….no just him. Nick and the others were met with a short badger, whose face was shielded by one of those blowtorch masks that cover up everything. In their hand was a  working , and I mean fully alive and functional chainsaw. Which was the entire reason why Cooper stopped talking and instead ran immediately behind Nick, using him as a shield for whatever this badger was planning to do to them.

“Hey Honey,” Nick said cooly, speaking over Cooper's frantic cries for help. “You ready for us?” The badger, or better yet, chainsaw-wielding maniac, eventually turned off the machine in her paws. Making Cooper let out a long sigh. They all waited as Honey took off the mask covering their face. It was clearer to the group now, that, without the mask on, Honey was a girl. Not that boys can’t also be named Honey.

She wore a bright smile on her face, eyes gleaming with excitement, and despite all the chaos with the chainsaw ending Cooper still felt his heart pace quicken. Nick could hear the change given how loud it was but ignored it and redirected his attention to Honey.

“I chopped all the wood this morning! This time I only got  _ 25 _ splinters!” She beamed, shoving her paws in Nick’s face. 

“Great job Honey, 5 less than the last time.” He smirked 

“Wait, we're here to work with wood?!” Finnick interrogated, confused. 

“Yep,” Nick answered bluntly. “We are all here to chop, sand, glaze, and carve wood.”

“WHAT?!” Finnick and Cooper exclaimed simultaneously. 

“Relax, jeez. I only asked you two here today so I’d have alibis, Judy doesn't need to find out what I’m getting her just yet.” He laughed, already walking inside. The two reluctantly followed. 

“So….You’re saying that we don’t  _ have _ to be here today?” Finnick asked while avoiding all the sharp machinery Honey had lying around. 

“Well, you don’t have to. But what’s the fun in leaving me and Honey all to our lonesome.” Nick whined, bending down to face his sorter face with a solemn look. Finnick groaned, knowing it might be somewhat fun hanging around this crazy, yet interesting, Honey. He just didn’t want to admit that to Nick. 

He muttered something under his breath, not fully coherent.

“What was that?” Nick asked, knowing full well that he already heard it clear enough the first time. 

“I’ll stay! Jeez…Only if we at least get to play some tunes to pass the time.” He demanded. 

“Deal.” The two shook paws and Nick moved over to the table fully stocked with wood. And out of the corner of his eye, he could see Cooper and Honey bonding over their similar tastes in music. 

“No way! You listen to Panic at the Zoo!” Cooper exclaimed once recognizing one of their CD’s in Honey’s stack.

“Duh! Who wouldn't? They're awesome!” She said, grinning in response. He smiled, happy that everyone was getting along. Nick reached over to grab a discarded mask from the floor, dusting it off and adjusting it on the rim of his forehead. He finally grabbed Honey’s chainsaw before turning around one last time to acknowledge them before turning it on.

“Honey!” Nick yelled out, even if the chainsaw wasn’t even on. She turned around enthusiastically, already jumping up and down. 

“WHAT!” Honey yelled in response, with even more volume. 

“Hit up that Zootroplis Idiot by Green Day!” He screamed. The group then broke into an immediate agreement as Honey scoured through her many many CD’s. She eventually found it stashed in the very back and returned to the group, placing the CD in a nearby boombox and turning it on. 

The song started instantly and Nick tapped his foot to the beat. He lowered the mask, starting the chainsaw but still being able to hear the music given how loud Honey was playing it. Nick focused back onto the wood, still slightly swaying his tail to the music, and got to work. 

* * *

After Judy left the station she met up with Fru and Nina at the nearby Snarlbucks, already feeling instantly tired by the time she got there. She sat down beside them, happily accepting the tea they ordered for her before time, and fell into her seat. 

“Are your legs hurting you?” Fru squeaked, concerned.

“Just a little, I’ll be fine once I sit down for a little bit,” Judy reassured, rubbing her neck slightly only now feeling the ache in it as well. She decided to pass the time with the two by telling them about the scene that happened on public transport. 

Judy described everything from the moment she and Nick entered the train car, meeting the two zebras, and from the moment they both left.

“I can’t believe there are still mammals who continue to act like this!” Nina exclaimed irritated after she finished going through the event. 

“How disgraceful. If that had happened to me I would have asked my father to take care of them and go on about my day.” Fru scoffed, her expression quickly changing and Judy knowing what she’d try suggesting next,

“I don’t need to ice anyone Fru! Really, it was fine, I wasn’t that bothered anyway. Mammals are allowed to have their own opinion and I can’t force them to change it even if I think it’s wrong.” Judy stated.

“Aw, you're such a saint!” Fru gushed. 

“Yeah, too much of one! You gotta get out of your shell from time to time. Speak your mind, let the crazy out. Y’know?” Nina asserted, standing out of her seat in order to do a power pose and show determination. Fru clapped happily in agreement but Judy pushed from the topic.

“OK….We’d better hit the store before all the good stuff is gone!” She exclaimed, grabbing her tea and standing up. Nina grumbled but begrudgingly followed, letting Fru sit on her shoulder and ignored Kolsolv’s protective huff. The three, or four of them, left the Snarlbucks in the direction of Mousey’s. 

The store had become so popular through Little Rodentia that the owners thought it would boost ratings if they expanded into the city. And they were right. Almost every time Judy had to shop to replace some torn boots or look for a new shirt she’d head over to Mousey’s with Nina and Fru. They both had better knowledge of the place anyway. 

They searched through some of the first-floor stores, not really finding anything at all promising. Nina suggested some stores that Nick liked himself, in hopes of Judy seeing something that would just “click.” But, unfortunately, she couldn't find the perfect one. It was a long hour of searching, going back in hopes of seeing something different, and then searching all over again 

“Ugh, we're just going in circles again and again and again!” Judy groaned in defeat. 

“We can’t give up! I’m sure there’s probably just one store around here somewhere that we just missed accidentally!” Fru exclaimed, trying to ease the group. It was a long shot, but who knows? She might be right. Nina suggested looking through the second floor again since they’ve only looked through it once. 

They looked, and looked, and looked until everything seemed to be the same thing like one big annoying circle. By the time they were “finished” with whatever last chance they thought they’d have Judy was exhausted. She sat down on a random seat that, for whatever reason, was placed in the middle of the walkway. Nina and Fru sat alongside her as well. 

“Don’t sweat it, Judy. I’m sure you’ll figure out what to get him. You guys are practically on the same wavelength that, chances are, you both just might get the other the same gift!” Nina proclaimed. Despite how tired she was feeling, Judy let out a small chuckle in agreement. 

“Probably…” She sighed, leaning her head back. It was then when something in the far right of the walkway caught her eye. It was just some random store, selling what looked like skateboards or whatever, but what caught her eye wasn’t the store itself, but what reflected off its display window. 

Judy got out of her seat in an instant, thinking that maybe, just maybe, there could be a slight chance after all. Nina and Fru followed after her in pursuit, confused as to why their friend left so suddenly. She walked up to the store and focused on its reflection. The window was reflecting the store behind them, causing Judy to switch her perspective just as fast. 

The others followed her line of vision and gasped in delight.

“Oh my god, that’d be perfect for Nick!” Fru blurted happily. 

“So perfect! And for a second there I thought we’d be stuck in this Mousey’s for eternity. Like some sort of crazy loop.” Nina laughed in relief. Everyone laughed alongside her, even Kolsolv for whatever impossible reason. Judy walked excitingly over in the direction of the store that might just be able to save her in this present war after all. 

The idea was perfect, she was just surprised it took her so long to find it.

* * *

Over the next two weeks, Judy and Nick worked incredibly hard. Nick revisiting the warehouse time after time, getting even closer to the finished product. While Judy on the other hand, stayed peacefully at home, enjoying her break off from the university due to the holidays, and sewed meticulously trying to finish her gift as well. 

Judy with fabric, and Nick with wood. Yet neither one of them could figure out what the other was doing. Thankfully, that was the other's plan all along. To make the best gift  _ and _ get the best reaction. It was just the competitive couple thing these two managed to find themselves into. 

The only thing that didn’t seem to go over smoothly through the two weeks, was Judy and the kits. She went through her 20th and 21st weeks feeling even more scared than when her first few even started. Honestly, it feels like it was only yesterday that Judy was on her 5th week and going to meet Dr. Firefox and Nick’s family for the first time. Back then, she didn’t have to fuss over the fact that she couldn’t even feel her kits yet. Only because she barely even had kits, to begin with! 

But now, the only thing that clouded her mind besides the gift, was the kits. Judy still couldn’t feel a flutter, or tingle, or anything! She spent most of her time by herself or over at the Wilde’s and could only think about why nothing was happening. Judy tried airing her grievances to Victoria and thankfully, something similar happened to her when Nick and Nina were born

She also tried helping her take her mind off of it by helping her plan a potential baby shower. Even if it was technically, months and months away. Something else that Victoria suggested Judy should do to help raise her spirits was to take a halfway bump picture for Fangbook. 

Judy was hesitant, thinking that if she posted it her family might see it, even if she changed her account to private. Blocking them just felt petty, but Judy could only imagine their faces if they saw the picture. Disappointed that she hadn’t gotten rid of them, or even in the smallest chance, relief that she was still alive. 

Judy decided against it, thinking it would be better to keep the photo to herself, and then maybe share it with the mammals close in her life. Anyway, even after the chaotic weeks had gone by. Judy and Nick hurried themselves to Mercy Sahara, barely squeezing in an appointment with Dr. Firefox. It was a quick one, and Judy almost didn’t hear everything since Virginia was talking at lightning speed, hoping to get through them and onto her other last-minute appointments. 

“There still isn't anything happening with the Kits. But, um, I think there might be quickening or fluttering that I might just mistake for something else.” Judy shrugged, trying to be optimistic.

“I assure you there is a high chance that would be the truth. Most mothers mistake some feelings for gas or just their digestive system.” Virginia explained. “Also! Here are your 3D pictures, all three of the kits by themselves, and if you want the extra ones you’ll have to ask from the front desk because unfortunately, I have to look through my other patients.”

“Oh that’s fine, we got through everything today so that’s great!” Judy smiled, feeling slightly better.

“I hope you two enjoy the holidays!” She exclaimed, after leaving the room and the two to themselves. It was only then that they both realized they forgot to give her their gift out of thanks. 

“We can leave it at the front desk. She’ll definitely see it when she comes back.” Nick suggested once the two were heading downstairs into the lobby.

“Sounds perfect!” Judy beamed. She dropped off the gift at the receptionist, giving specific instructions that it was meant for Dr. Firefox’s eyes only. They both decided to get her a hand-knitted scarf since she always complained about not having one for the colder season when visiting her family. The timing might be off if she had already left, but if the front desk managed to get through to her beforehand the gift would be perfect. 

Judy and Nick left the hospital paw in paw, and for whatever reason, she expected to be hit with the cold winter air expected for the season, but it was the perfect warm temperature it always was. Nick noticed her longing look and reassured her that over their time together they’d visit Tundratown. It was just another sweet gesture that he always managed to make for her. 

His eyes seemed slightly tired when saying this and Judy became worried that he was stretching himself too thin with all the running around and what with the company needing more help as well. 

“You’ve been all over the place in the last few weeks.” She exclaimed, looking over his overworked state.

“Nah I’m used to it.” He said, trying to shrug it off.

“Nick I’m serious! I don’t want you overexerting yourself just for my sake!” Judy cried. “I know that whatever you have planned for Clawsmas will be just as good as every year before, maybe even better.”

“Maybe?” Nick smirked, arching an eyebrow and most obviously fishing for compliments. Judy rolled her eyes but smiled.

“Definitely. But I’ll probably beat you this year, my gift surpasses every other one out there.” She bragged. 

“Well if you say that I’ll probably have to work twice as hard.” He sighed, placing a paw to his head dramatically. Which only made Judy’s eyes bulge in regret. Her nose started twitching like it always did when she was nervous but Nick spoke up again and stopped it. 

“Just joking Carrots. I’ll take a break from time to time, don't worry.” Nick laughed, placing a claw on her nose to stop it from twitching. She sighed and moved closer to his side. 

“You think we're ready for another holiday with your parents?” Judy asked, leaning against him.

“I’m not entirely sure,” He began. “But, I think we can make this one even better, and I know for a fact that everything happening with the kits will be past news soon. There is nothing wrong with or with them, you're both amazing.” She giggled and snuggled up beneath his arm as they continued walking side by side towards public transport. 

The looks other mammals might send their way, or anything else that might happen with the kits won’t stop them. Not when Judy has Nick and Nick has Judy. This Clawsmas might just be their best yet.

And that’s a guarantee. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay the 16th chapter is published!!!!!!!!!!! :3 
> 
> This one might've taken longer in my schedule but I did have a really big test that I needed to study for so I apologize on my part for taking so long :p 
> 
> Anyway, with winter break coming soon yall better be prepared to see even more updates coming in.
> 
> The next chapter will obviously be the Clawsmas one, I plan on making that one EXTRA long just for all of you :3
> 
> And then after that, I'll head into Nick's birthday chapter, I'm not sure if I'm right but according to some research I tried doing online there were some whispers about his birthday being on January 12th. I might be wrong tho! And if anyone out there knows their real birthdays please tell me! It would be a ton of help! 
> 
> Okidoki then, and the last thing I wanted to say was OH MY GOD you guys....Judy is basically a beeline to the birth! Her due date, if I did my math right, should be somewhere in April. THAT'S SO SOON IN THE STORY 
> 
> And with the birth coming soon...I need to start thinking about what's going to happen with the story. 
> 
> Here's my OG plan, I was thinking about going through the kit's first year with Judy and Nick, maybe even end with a wedding and acceptance letter for Judy through the academy. And from there I would probably figure out that perfect fairytale ending or whatever. 
> 
> But I wouldn't want to leave you guys with just that! I know most of you would love to see Judy and Nick through the kit's childhood so you can all see them grow up and their parenting techniques or whatever, and I was planning on doing that! However, I was planning on doing it in another story. 
> 
> I recently had an idea of where I'd end this story as planned, with the right amount of chapters and whatever, and then in the future, I'd make a sequel story, following from where this one ended. Kinda like a Part Two book or whatever. 
> 
> Tell me what you guys think about it! Any other suggestions that might help with the story I'd love to hear! 
> 
> After this story I'll be moving onto my other ideas, definitely more originals from here on out. But I'd also like to do other stories inspired by movies, or common romantic troupes, even some story ideas based off or loosely inspired by some other really good Fanfic's I've read on here as well. 
> 
> Anyway, I'll be heading off to write the 17th chapter. Hope you all enjoy this one and stay safe! Love you all!


	17. Chapter 17: A Clawsmas Reunion

**Chapter 17: A Clawsmas Reunion**

* * *

Judy awoke the next morning not only to sunlight shining through the nearby window in their room but to the loud purring sound next to her. She turned her head around and had her nose brush against the tip of Nick’s. He was still sound asleep, his arms wrapped soundly around her. Judy giggled at the sight quietly and caressed the fur on his ears. 

“Good morning,” She whispered, not entirely expecting a response. Nonetheless, Nick’s ears twitched and Judy stared expectantly, hoping he would wake up as well. A few seconds past and the only thing he did was adjust his head on the pillow. She rolled her eyes exasperatedly, already expecting him to sleep in. 

Judy quietly got out of bed, leaving Nick to get some extra sleep, and headed outside to start breakfast. Outside of the room, the apartment looked brighter as the sunlight draped across the floors, the walls, even the curtains. It also helped that the two decorated everything with cheap Clawsmas decorations that they could find on short notice. 

She caught a glance at the barely functioning clock on their microwave and much to her displeasure, it was already 7:55. Meaning that she and Nick had around an hour and five minutes to get ready in time for Victoria's party. Judy lowered her head in agony groaning, already feeling her stress levels rising. 

She grabbed a tea packet from the cupboard and began boiling some water. Hopefully, some calming Jasmine tea might ease her nerves. The kettle beside Judy let out a piercing whistle, indicating that the water had finished boiling, and she could only assume the noise had been loud enough to wake up Nick. 

So just like clockwork, a loud thump came from their bedroom and she snickered. Knowing fully that he most definitely fell out of bed. And even after some more shuffling sounds had passed, Nick finally emerged from their room and walked tiredly in her direction. 

“If this is your way of waking me up I’m going to have to start setting my alarm before yours…” He muttered groggily. 

“We both know very well that you have never set an alarm in your life and I’m not even entirely sure you know how,” Judy smirked in response, pouring her tea. 

“Har har.” Nick laughed sarcastically, still half asleep. “Is there a reason you're making tea so early in the morning?” 

“For your information Slick,” She answered. “It’s already 8:00 am and I’m pretty sure that if we're late for today’s party your mother won’t stop at threatening to shave  _ just _ your tail…” His eyes immediately sprung awake at this and Judy burst in a fit of giggles.

“Relax Nick! We can get ready in 30 minutes and still have time to spare.” She laughed, reassuring him. 

“You may say that now but don’t come freaking out to me when you're second-guessing the gift you got my mom at the last second.” He chuckled knowingly. Judy rolled her eyes in response but smiled into her drink once Nick walked over to place a quick kiss on her forehead and turned around to start making some food. 

She finished her tea and set it aside in the sink, grabbing one last look at the clock before heading back into their room to get ready. Judy could still hear the clacks and clangs of plates behind her once entering the bedroom. In front of her lay a disorganized scene.

The bed, still absolutely disheveled from Nick falling out of it, and her side of the room covered top to bottom with articles, books, magazines, just about everything she could get from Virginia or the internet about going through a pregnancy.

In honesty, Judy still wasn’t completely sure of herself after hearing time and time again that she’d probably feel the kits moving in the next few weeks or so. But she was already deep into her 21st week and still, feeling nothing. Judy had done everything the forums or other mothers online had suggested because, at the end of the day, they were all more experienced at this than her. 

It was at times like these when her mind would wander. Wander back to her family, her parents, and everything else she had planned back in Bunnyburrow. Judy was still glad that after what happened it was only her and Nick now. Not to mention his family and Fru Fru. But...if she had actually waited and if Karla didn’t happen to call on that night at that exact moment. Would things be different? 

Could Judy actually, maybe, possibly, have gotten through all this a tiny bit smoother if she had just waited? If she really had her mother by her side through all this? No. Right?

Judy was so lost in thought that she didn't notice her arms laying absentmindedly on her baby bump, nor the fact that Nick had walked back into the room and witnessed the scene in front of him.

“Carrots…Everything alright?” He asked, concerned. She looked up, pulling herself back into reality and into the gaze of her boyfriend. The words hung in her mind but not her mouth. 

“I-I...u-um,” Judy struggled to answer, her paws shaking. Nick set down the plate in his paw, which she only now noticed, and rushed beside her. 

“Hey, hey, calm down. It’s ok…” He cupped his paws around her own instinctively. They were shaking but eventually stopped and she finally looked him in the eye, feeling the words roll out her throat. 

“Am I...are  _ we _ doing this right? O-Or...just failing miserably? Judy stuttered. 

“What?” Nick exclaimed.

“I don’t know! I can’t help but feel...inexperienced and naive to all of this. You know?” She mumbled, unsure. 

“Judy, of course, I do. Were both inexperienced and naive. But that’s only because of  _ this _ , this amazing thing that happened to us, happened at an earlier time. I assure you that if this all even conspired one year into the future we’d still be just as freaked out.” He said, moving his paws, and hers, down to where the kits supposedly were. 

“Even if we were still bringing actual breathing and living mammals into the world?” Judy proclaimed, averting her eyes. Nick cupped her face and moved her eyeline back into his own. 

“100%. No one gets through these types of things perfectly the first time.” He answered seriously. She stared at him for a few more seconds before letting out a choked laugh. 

“Your right...Pobodys Nerfect.” Judy giggled. Nick smiled at this and kissed her on the tip of her nose.

“Exactly. Now come on, we have to get ready soon or my mom might just threaten to kill both of us.” 

“Nah probably just you. She loves me.” She bragged, holding her head higher. He rolled his eyes and snickered, but promptly returned to his discarded plate of food. It was stacked to the rim with blueberries, the occasional bright red raspberry popping up as well. It looked, in her own words, like a tall, overbearing, but delicious stack of fruit. Of course, being Nick, it was one of his favorite options for food in the morning. 

Judy laughed at the sight, then too, returned to what she was doing. Digging through her somewhat disorganized array of clothing in their shared compact closet, Judy eventually found what she was looking for. Reaching deep into the closet she struggled but finally pulled out a tinted burgundy dress. 

It lay on the hanger still and out in the open but giving Nick a good look at it as well. He let out a low whistle and smirked behind her. 

“Is that one of your sisters' dresses? Wait, you didn’t actually take one of theirs now did you?” Nick pressed jokingly. 

“Well, it wasn’t like I was in the best state of mind to raid my sisters' closets at the time.” Judy chuckled darkly and he winced. 

“Too soon?” 

“No it's fine. I think I’m actually in a good enough place to joke about it.” She shrugged nonchalantly but returned her attention to the dress. “And getting back to this, the dress is Fru’s. Well, she designed it at least, and then gave it to me as a gift since she couldn’t be here today.” 

“Family thing?” Nick questioned, now beside her.

“I think so. I can never really figure out what she does once she leaves with Koslov.” Judy murmured while checking over the dress. The trim and end of the sleeves were splattered with white miniature snowflakes, all intricately sewn by Fru Fru herself. And the last thing she checked to make sure was still in place was the black ribbon tied right above the elbow but not at the waist. 

The arctic shrew kept the kits in mind and didn’t want to risk something with a tight corset or anything adjusted too drastically. So in the end she surprised Judy by making the dress flow loosely past her abdomen but still tucked in somewhat right beneath her chest. In short, it was the most beautiful thing she had ever owned. Not even wearing one of her sisters’ fancy dresses could compare to what Fru Fru had made. 

Judy changed into it carefully in front of the mirror, not wanting to pop a seam or anything else, but the zipper was too far away for her arms to reach. 

“Stupid…short…appendages…” She muttered angrily while frantically bending backward in hope of just grabbing even the tip of the zipper. Nick snickered from behind her and set down his now empty plate.

“You need any help there Carrots?” He asked, offering a paw in support. 

“It's alright, I’m good,” Judy replied quickly, even when she was most definitely not getting any farther with the dress. Out of the corner of the mirror, she saw the knowing look Nick was giving her and huffed. 

“.....Yes please….” She eventually mumbled defeatedly. He laughed, shaking his head, and moved behind her to finally zip up the dress. If Judy’s stubbornness had been any stronger that day they most likely would never make it in time for the party.

She stood for a few seconds, looking over herself and the dress, but then frowned and cocked her head.

“Do you think there’s something missing? Maybe a necklace or whatever” Judy questioned innocently, looking up to Nick. It looked like the color in his face had been drained completely. He blinked dumbly but eventually responded. 

“Oh u-um, no! You look great, amazing even. A-And if there really is a need for a necklace you might get-FIND, find one later…” Nick chuckled awkwardly. Judy squinted her eyes at him and was about to interrogate his suspicious behavior before stopping once hearing her phone ring from its bed stand. 

She quickly moved towards it, not noticing the sigh of relief Nick gave out once she turned away. It was a text from Jasmine, saying that they would be there in around 30 minutes or so. Judy sent back a smiling rabbit emoji with a paw up for good measure. But while doing so she noticed that it was already 8:25 and gasped.

“Oh god, we have to hurry!” She exclaimed before turning to Nick with wide eyes. “I still have to brush my fur, find some shoes that won’t end up killing my feet, a-and -,” Judy was cut off by Nick putting his paws on her shoulders to slow her down.

“Carrots, it's ok. We still have enough time for all of that so just calm down.” He exclaimed. “You go to the bathroom and do all that while I get ready myself. Ok?” She pursed her lips, still feeling her thoughts cartwheel around her head, but nodded tiredly. 

“Ok. But I better see you all dressed up and handsome when I get back. Your mother would hate me if I let you wear a t-shirt and slacks for her party.” Judy laughed while disappearing around the door and back into the hallway. Nick laughed and smirked, even if she wasn’t in the room.

“She’d hate me more!” He added, yelling. 

“That’s for sure!” Judy yelled back. Nick waited a few seconds before hearing the bathroom door shut and ran a paw through his fur, making it even more disheveled. That was too close, he seriously needed to calm down, otherwise, he’d give it away. Hearing Judy suggest a necklace made him think that she had seen her gift already and was playfully teasing him. 

He quickly changed out of his sleepwear and moved to the bed stand, unlocking the bottom drawer. Nina, for whatever reason, found them a new one with a locked compartment, and Nick never found a use for it, until now. He pulled out a medium black box, opening it slowly.  **(IT'S NOT A RING, THIS AIN'T A PROPOSAL)** Nick lifted the small pendant, rubbing over the wood with his claw.

It had taken two long weeks to even get the idea, then ask Honey and Finnick for help, and not mention carve the freaking thing. But, it was worth it. Because he knew the second Judy saw it she’d be nothing less than happy. At least, he hoped so. 

His ears twitched suddenly, hearing the footsteps come closer through the hallway. Nick frantically threw the necklace back into the box and shoved it into his pocket, locking the drawer while doing so. Judy entered the room, her fur fully combed, and wearing a fancy pair of flats the same color as her dress. Her ears tied behind her with a black ribbon similar to those around her chest. 

Nick stared breathlessly, his mouth slightly ajar.

“Do you think I should go in my red shoes or black ones - Oh! You look so handsome!” She cooed, forgetting about her question and running up to him. Judy ran her paws down the sleeves of his suit jacket and Nick smirked, seeing it as an opportunity. He grabbed one of her paws, twirling her around in an instant.

“Like you aren’t ten times more beautiful. And if I had to say, the red shoes would suit you better, plus I know they don’t hurt as much.” She smiled tenderly in response, getting on the tips of her toes in order to kiss him on the cheek. The entire scene felt like that of a married couple.  **(PFFT AS IF THEY AREN’T ONES ALREADY :P)**

“Then it’s settled then. Now we should really get going, Victoria might not hate showing up on time, but I know she’d only be pleased by us showing up even earlier.” Judy exclaimed, leading both of them out of the bedroom and back into the hallway. 

“My mother, always the punctual one.” Nick sighed dramatically.

“Yeah but if she heard you say that she’d most definitely cut your tail off instead of shaving it.” She smirked. He shuddered behind her and Judy laughed one last time before they finally left the apartment and in the direction of the party.  **(DISCLAIMER! NO FOX TAILS HAVE OR WILL BE HURT THROUGHOUT THE MAKING OF THIS CHAPTER :3)**

* * *

They both entered the Wilde's apartment, its entirety decorated differently from their Tamesgiving a few weeks back. Nick was currently busy setting down all the presents while Judy rushed over to say hi to Victoria and John.

“Sweetheart you look amazing!! Wherever did you manage to find such a dress?!” Nick’s mother squealed once seeing what she was wearing. Judy smiled bashfully and giggled.

“Thank you! But I didn’t find it anywhere, Fru Fru actually designed it for me.” She explained, twirling the ends of the ribbon corset in her paw. 

“Oh, that shrew! So much amazing talent in such tiny little claws!” Vic chortled.

“Is everyone else here yet?” Judy questioned intrigued, excited to see the others. 

“Just us for now. Your family should be coming soon though. Right?” She exclaimed. 

“Jasmine’s driving in with Sharla and Gideon but I think so, yeah!” Judy answered politely. There were some shuffling noises from the kitchen and she immediately recognized it as a certain fox's indication of being “deep into his work.” Judy popped her head in the doorway and was hit with the smell of delicious frosted cookies.

“Hi, Cooper!” She chuckled once finally entering the room with Nick by her side. He gave a nonchalant wave to his brother before stealing one of the cookies and disappearing back into the living room. 

“Oh hey, Judy! I was busy experimenting with some cinnamon and brown sugar but I think I finally perfected my signature beetle muffins. Want some?” Cooper replied somewhat frantic and caked head to toe with flour. 

“Ah no I’m - Actually, yeah I’ll have one. They smell delicious anyway.” She shrugged and went to grab one. 

“Wow, didn’t take you for the type to enjoy beetle muffins.” He exclaimed. 

“Well, lots of weird things have been happening to me since I became pregnant with three babies. Lots of things….” Judy answered menacingly, slowly eating her muffin but immediately changing her expression to that of one filled with awe. “Oh my god, these are delicious! Did you mix strawberries with...what is that...pineapple?” 

“Yep!” He bragged confidently. “I always loved trying weird food combinations and today was the perfect one to try some!” 

“You were right because this is  _ amazing _ !” She moaned in delight. Cooper thanked her and chuckled while watching Judy grab a second helping of the supposedly amazing beetle muffins. 

“Oh, that reminds me!” He proclaimed, setting aside the tray of food on the counter beside him. She cocked her head in confusion, still munching on the pastry in hand. Cooper left the room in an instant but promptly returned with a paper and box in hand.

“What’s that?” Judy asked, still slightly confused. 

“ _ This _ …” He explained, pausing for dramatic effect. “Is your Clawsmas gift! From me to you.” 

“Wait really!” She beamed, moving closer to the object in his paws. 

“I have been thinking long and hard about it but I think that after Tamesgiving I finally found the perfect gift. Might even be better than Nicks if I do say so myself.” He grinned mischievously. An annoying reply from Nick himself came shortly after. 

“I HEARD THAT!” Judy giggled at their brotherly antics but quickly returned her attention to Cooper. 

“What is it?!” She questioned excitingly, barely unable to withhold her anticipation. He waited for a few more theatrical seconds and finally revealed what was on the paper and in the box. 

The box contained two adorably cute oven mitts that were splattered to the brink with tiny carrots. And the paper appeared to have the emblem of the cooking school Cooper attended with a bold anagram saying  **T.B.A.O.R.T.M.C** . Which, in short, stood for, The Bakers Association Official Recipe of The Month Club. 

“Cooper….D-Did you get me a spot in your school's official recipe of the month club?!” Judy finally said in disbelief. 

“Oh, you better believe it Cottontail. The entire deal with benefits included.” He smirked. 

“B-But how? your school is really elite, at least Nina tells me so. A-And aren’t these really expensive to get anyway?” She interrogated. 

“You can go a long way with student discounts. Plus I have a friend there who owes me.” Cooper bragged. 

“Thank you! Aw, but this makes me feel like the gift I got you wasn’t enough….” Judy said with big eyes and her ears drooping. 

“Seriously? Girl, I don’t care whatever your gift is, I'll love it. Even if you got me a banana out of all things I’d still cherish it.” He reassured while ruffling some of the fur on the tip of her head. She sighed out of relief and smiled.

“Thanks, Cooper. Ah, I should probably go get it!” Judy exclaimed, rushing out of the room. She came back shortly after, with a white coat in hand. Cooper gasped gleefully and Judy smiled out of relief. 

“I-Is that….?” He stuttered in disbelief. 

“I know what it looks like but this is only a replica of your idols chef coat.” She explained. “A friend of mine helped me make it almost identical to his since I know he’s your hero and everything…” Cooper ran up to embrace Judy with a tight hug so instantaneously that she almost dropped the coat on the floor. 

“I take it, that means you like it?” She chuckled once Cooper let her down. He laughed alongside her and nodded.

“I told you I’d love your gift no matter what. But honestly, I will love this for the rest of my life, possibly even more than my whisk.” The continued goofing off until hearing the doorbell ring from outside the kitchen. Judy swerved her ears and almost immediately headed outside. 

Leaving the kitchen she not only saw Nick and his parents standing at the door but also everyone back from Bunnyburrow as well. And when she means  _ everyone _ , Judy only means the mammals that matter. Jasmine was at the front of the group, holding a few gifts in her arms, while Sharla and Gideon were hovering near the back, looking adorable together as always. 

“Judy!” The trio exclaimed once seeing her enter the room. She ran over to them and embraced her friends all with a big hug, ecstatic to see them again after such a long time. 

“You look amazing!!” Jasmine and Sharla said simultaneously once seeing the dress she was wearing. 

“Aw, thank you! It’s so great to see all of you again. Three months is too long!” Judy beamed. 

“Well, we're here now!” Sharla giggled but turned her attention to Victoria and John. “Thank you for allowing us to come, your apartment looks beautiful!”

“T-Thank you for inviting us to your c-charming apartment ma'am!” Gideon stuttered, speaking up. His accent drew out making some of the words sound a little different but Judy understood them easily having known him for a long time. 

Victoria chuckled but smiled nonetheless. “Well thank you for accepting the invitation! The more the merrier!” She stepped aside to allow them to enter the apartment and Jasmine to set down the rest of the gifts. They all instantly fell into mingling with each other. Judy caught up with Sharla and Jasmine, Nick with Gideon, and even Nina decided to converse as well. Only, conversing for her meant freaking out the others with conspiracy theories. Specifically Gideon. 

“Angelina Wilde stop scaring the guests!” Victoria demanded sternly. Judy cocked her head in confusion, not knowing that Nina’s real name was Angelina. Although, having known the vixen for a while now, she could only assume that Nina had her own reasons to go by a nickname like Nick. 

Speaking of Nick, Judy decided to go look for him, wondering where he had gone. She also thought that now would be the best time to give him his gift. Yet despite that, Judy hesitated, unsure of what she had made him would surpass whatever gift he got her. Nick was right, Judy would end up second-guessing one of her gifts today, just not the one for his mother. 

She eventually found him on the balcony, deep in thought, with his ears twirling around. It was then when Judy had the best idea, to sneak up on him. The idea was to sneak up on him, there is literally no better answer than to sneak up on him. Judy walked through the doorway quietly and crept softly behind him, unsure if he could even hear or not. His ears weren’t twitching so that must have been a good sign, unfortunately, Judy failed to notice his tail wagging once she stepped outside. 

She was just about to tap his shoulder when he spoke up casually. 

“If you're trying to sneak up on me, maybe think about the fact that you’ve tried this countless times before and how it never worked?” Nick proclaimed, arching his head backward in her direction. Judy stepped back scowling, but still shook her head in a fit of giggles.

“I guess I thought today might be the one?!” She laughed. 

“You’ll get there someday.” He smirked, shrugging. Judy stood beside him, perching her paws on the railing in front of her. 

The view beneath them showed the many mammals rushing back and forth across the sidewalks, hastily trying to make it back home in time for whatever they had planned themselves for the holidays. And despite it almost being 1:00, the sky looked prepared for a sunset out of all things. Reds and yellows mixed with each other, the occasional pink popping out in contrast.

“It’s peaceful out here…” Judy mumbled to herself and somewhat to Nick. He nodded silently in agreement, wrapping his tail around the bottom of her leg instinctively. She leaned her head against his shoulder smiling, enjoying the moment. 

Judy looked up again, marveled by the city skyline when noticing something above them. She lifted her head higher, finally noticing what it was, and snickered. Nick turned to her with a confused look on his face.

“What's so funny?” He questioned with half a grin. Judy didn’t answer and merely pointed above the two. Nick followed the direction and began laughing himself as well. It was a mistletoe, the most cheesy cliche during winter. And for whatever reason, our characters found themselves beneath it. Most likely the work of Victoria or Nina or Cooper. Actually, it’s possibly just one big alliance between his family. 

They both eventually stopped laughing and Judy ended up staring expectantly back and forth between Nick and the mistletoe. They already acted like one of  _ those _ couples. So what’s the harm of falling even deeper into the stereotype. Judy internally shrugged and stepped closer to him, a mischievous smirk on her lips. He arched an eyebrow and mimicked her smirk. 

“I didn’t take you for a romantic Carrots?” 

“Please, when I have never been a romantic?” Judy questioned, teasingly. 

“True.” Nick shrugged. She giggled, moving onto the tips of her shoes and placing a quick but affectionate kiss on his lips. Judy felt him smile into the kiss and she moved to steady herself, hating the large gap in height between them. Nick thankfully bent down so she wouldn’t have to overexert her feet any longer. 

And just as she did it, a loud bang came from behind them and they broke apart in shock. Nick and Judy turned around surprised to see Nina, pursing her lips impatiently. 

“If you two lovebirds are done...We’re doing toasts to “send off” the party or whatever.” She sighed, rolling her eyes like that of an annoyed teenager. Which she coincidentally was. The couple turned back to look at each other and laughed, walking back inside paw in paw. 

The others were standing in a circle around the tree, which was placed conveniently at a corner in the room. Sharla was paw in paw with Gideon, just like Judy and Nick. And Jasmine was surprisingly hitting it off with Nina, who was standing beside Cooper. And lastly, Victoria leaning proudly beside John like the married couple they were. The entire scene was so heartwarmingly adorable, that Judy couldn't resist a grin.

Nick’s mother grabbed a champagne glass filled with sparkling water and flicked it with one of her claws, sending out an echoing ping. 

“First off, I would like to toast to what an amazing year this has been, especially the last few months. And I mean that!” She emphasized, getting a chuckle out of everyone in the room. It really was around the time where someone could make a joke about Judy and Nick’s mostly pleasant surprise and not fall into an awkward silence. 

“And secondly,” Victoria continued. “I toast to us, family, friends, everyone. Because cripes help us that the next year will only go smoother…Not that you two should have anything to worry about!!!” She assured, focusing on the two of them. Judy smiled and said the fact was known. But still, expecting actual living, breathing, most likely screeching, babies. That stuff isn’t easy. And definitely not when everything is multiplied by three. 

John followed, clearing his throat and raising a glass. “As I said during Tamesgiving, I’m happy for my family, for the company, and for whatever else may come.” He gave a quick salute to no specific mammal and drank the rest of his drink, smiling when his gaze returned to Victoria. Judy grinned at the two of them but focused her attention on the next mammal in turn.

Cooper coughed awkwardly, only now realizing how many mammals in the room there were. And the fact that they were all looking at him. But, nonetheless, he sighed and continued on with his toast. 

“I guess if I had anything to toast for, it would...for everyone. Especially Judy and Nick.” He exclaimed, looking directly at the two. “I don’t know if next year will be great since I can’t naturally look into the future.”

“Hah, not yet…” Nina interrupted menacingly, getting a glare from Cooper but a laugh from Jasmine. He shook his head and returned to where he left off. “Anyway, I just hope to see you guys through it. And that nothing else bad might happen along the way…”  **(OOOOOH IS THAT SOME SAUCY FORESHADOWING I HEAR???? >:3)**

“Hear hear!!” Sharla triumphed, sending off a wave effect in the room. Everyone cheered quietly and took a swing at their glasses. Respectively of course. Since after all, most of the mammals at the party were minors, and there wasn’t even the smallest trace of alcohol in their glasses. Nina and Jasmine went through next. Her sister said how proud she was of her, even making Judy tear up a little as well. The two then obviously shared a sisterly embrace, complimenting the other through many ways than one. 

Nina, on the other hand, decided to go with her toast by starting off how she most likely expected everyone to become abducted by aliens this time next year. Proceeded by ducking a slap on the head from Cooper, she then actually moved onto a surprisingly heartfelt toast. More of a surprise to Nick than Judy, she knew there was a soft spot on the vixen. Even if Nick had been partially blinded by the countless sibling fights the two had gotten into over the years. 

Being a twin is hard, and Judy chuckled, wondering if their own kits would bicker like the three of them had. Or similar to her own litter as well. Who knows? They might just end up loving each other as most siblings do.  **(HAH LIES >:( SIBLINGS WILL FIGHT YOU TO THE DEATH OVER A FRENCH FRY AND THAT'S THE TRUTH)**

Anyway, after Nina finished her own speech, it was time for Judy’s. And just like that, the entire moment felt eerily similar to the Tamesgiving dinner weeks ago. Except that this time, Judy and Nick knew the genders of the kits, it was just as, maybe even more so, emotional, and all she worried about nowadays was the fact the kits wouldn’t move. Or they did, and Judy just couldn’t feel them. It was different, but all in the same. 

Judy took in a long sigh, thinking deeply about what she would toast to. “If I had to begin somewhere, I would have to acknowledge all of you. I’m just...happy. Happy that despite everything, I have mammals there to hold onto. Friends that I know won’t leave my side, family members who won’t turn their backs on me, and an amazing boyfriend who only continues to surprise me.” She beamed, looking around the room, but ending her gaze on Nick. He smiled at her devotedly, kissing the tip of her head as she giggled in response. 

“Dawww….” The rest of the girls, including Cooper but excluding Nina, cooed affectionately. Judy looked away bashfully and continued on. 

“Lastly, I know that everything for us hasn’t been that promising in the last few weeks…” She said with a sad smile. “But, I think despite that, things will get better. Honestly, it really isn’t even a big deal that I still can’t feel - GAH!” 

Judy stopped mid-sentence and moved one of her paws to her lower abdomen.  **(I think ima leave now to allow some room for the flood works because ya’ll gonna be too emotional for this :3)** She brushed it off as a cough and tried to move back to her toast. 

“That I can’t feel them - HMM” There it was again, only this time, harder. Judy laughed breathlessly, unsure as to  _ what _ was exactly happening, and tried to at least finish her toast before it became the death of her. 

“As I was saying...The entire ordeal doesn't even seem - OK!” That time, whatever it was, a jab, a cramp, a flutter, SOMETHING, Judy literally felt it. Whatever was going on down there managed to move against her paw and she wondered if it was the same thing that managed to elude her in the last few weeks. 

“Hey, are you ok?” Nick asked frantically, his arms already on her shoulders in fear. And it was just that, Judy didn’t know if she was ok or should be screaming for help. She had never felt anything like  _ this _ before. And in between the time Judy had initially started her toast and was now miraculously ruining it, she set aside her glass of water and was holding onto Nick's arm, scared. 

Victoria showed up beside her as well, with a skeptical and concerned look all over her face. She examined Judy with a pensive stare, then took a sharp intake of air. 

“Judy….are you…?” Vic began to say, hesitant to finish the sentence. Nick looked at his mother with wide eyes and then firmly placed his gaze back on Judy again, more than happy to finish the statement.

“A-Are the babies kicking?!” He exclaimed, hopeful. 

“I...I think they are! I don’t know!” Judy replied with a dumbfounded look on her face. Just then, as if her kits were reading the room around her, they all kicked simultaneously. At least, she assumed they did. Judy doubled over in surprise and slight pain. 

“Alright let’s give her some space to sit down. With three kits I can only assume it’s gonna hurt like hell when they get bigger…” Victoria blurted out in a motherly manner, moving her towards a small armchair in the corner. The entire scene happened so suddenly that Judy didn’t even have a chance to fully acknowledge that the kits were  _ actually _ moving. And she felt it! It was like something out of a movie that it also managed to happen on Clawsmas day as well, just as she was giving a speech! 

The group gave her enough space respectively but couldn’t hide the delighted grins on their muzzles. Her sister and Sharla especially. Victoria, along with Nick, were the first ones by her side as Judy continued to internally and externally freak out over the kits actually kicking. 

“This is way too much of a coincidence…” Nick laughed breathlessly, while his paws were right on top of hers, both of them gushing over the moment. Judy giggled beside him.

“Like some sort of cheesy -” She began but her words intertwined with his.

“Miracle?” The two burst out laughing, Judy still clutching on to Nick’s arm. He moved to nuzzle the edge of her cheek in an affectionate way, smiling while doing so. 

“Exactly.” He proclaimed, still planted right by her side. Nina, who witnessed the scene along with Sharla and Jasmine, gagged. 

“They’re so sweet it's giving me cavities…” She grimaced. The other girls beside her laughed. 

“Yeah but it's so natural for them you can’t really be surprised.” Jasmine shrugged, staring fondly at her sister as she and Nick were stuck in their own little bubble. Nina stuck her tongue out in annoyance but dejectedly smiled. 

They _were_ really cute.

* * *

After the party died down and everyone gave Judy’s hundreds of repeated congratulations, she and Nick said goodbye to everyone. The goodbye to Sharla and Jasmine being more emotional than others. 

“Call me up with updates!” Jasmine demanded once the sisters were in the hallway about to leave the others' side yet again. 

“I promise don’t worry.” Judy chuckled. She turned her attention to Nick, who was standing aside, waiting to head back into the serenity of their own apartment.

“And  _ you _ ! Stay by her side. I don’t want to call home with my sister an emotional mess.” Jasmine threatened. Nick gulped out of fear but quickly fell into his suave manner, untouched. 

“Like I’d ever leave her side.” He argued, moving to wrap a paw around her shoulder. Judy giggled, watching Jasmine roll her eyes but return her gaze. 

“I’ll still send back updates if you need me to. Mom and dad are….still sorta upset, but I think they wouldn’t mind a Clawsmas card or two?” She suggested. Judy thought about it for a moment, suddenly feeling the need to throw water under the bridge and make amends. And after everything that happened hours prior, she felt at the top of the world. It wouldn’t hurt to let them know she was still standing tall, alive, and well. 

“Ok, sure.” Judy rummaged around in her purse until finally pulling out one of the extra Clawsmas cards Victoria gave her. She and Nick were standing somewhat in the front, cheesy grins on their faces as everyone around them fell into a nostalgic pose. Jasmine stared at it in surprise for a few seconds before grabbing it and stuffing it into her purse as well. She gave one last hug goodbye before disappearing down the stairwell. 

“That was big of you.” Nick acknowledged once they headed back into their own humble abode. Judy shrugged nonchalantly and sprawled against the couch with a tired yawn. 

“Can’t keep sweeping it under the rug…” She mumbled, exhausted. Judy lay her head against the comfort of the couch for a few seconds before springing up instantly in realization.

“Sweet cheese and crackers I forgot!” 

“Forget what?” Nick questioned from below her. He was busy helping Judy take off her flats, which was 100% sweet of him, but she didn’t have time for sweet and adorable antics at the moment. Judy stood up abruptly, with the help of a confused Nick, and moved back towards the doorway. Where her gift still stood, perfectly contained in its bag. 

She picked it up and turned around hesitantly. 

“So I may have....gotten sidetracked at the party and forget to give you this,” Judy exclaimed sheepishly, walking back towards the couch and Nick. A smug grin found its way onto his muzzle. 

“Did you now?” He smirked. 

“Hey I didn’t see any gift from you either tonight, so hold your tongue!” She argued. Nick lifted two hands in acknowledgment, knowing full well that they  _ both _ became sidetracked at the party. It isn’t every day that you get to experience the first time your kits move and you can actually feel it. 

Judy sat down beside him, an excited yet nervous smile on her muzzle. Still slightly second-guessing the gift, as always. Nick noticed this and pulled out the box he ever so forgot about in his pocket. She stared at it expectantly and gasped once he opened it, revealing a beautiful wooden oval-shaped necklace. 

“If you're too shy about showing me my gift…” He teased, lifting up the pendant. “Then I suppose I can go first.” Judy was awestruck, unsure of what to say. Because in her eyes, the locket looked absolutely beautiful.

“Nick…” She muttered, completely speechless. 

“Now turn around so I can put this on you,” Nick asked of her, opening its metallic latch, prepared. Judy’s paw ran over her collarbone and smiled. No wonder he became so flustered that morning when she suggested wearing a necklace…

Judy turned around and pulled her ears over her shoulder, still having them tied up with the black ribbon from earlier. Shortly after, Nick sat closer behind her and moved the locket forward, being careful not to break the chain holding it considering it was much smaller in his own paws. It took a few seconds, Nick slightly struggling to make the click the two ends of the chain together but he finally managed through it with a triumphant yes. 

She turned back around bashfully and looked down at the locket. It was slightly big in her paws but surprisingly perfect enough by itself. The design was simple, a wooden outer core, most definitely hand carven, taking her by surprise, with a painted field of violets across the front. Giving it a romantic vibe. 

“The front was painted by Cooper, he has a better eye for those types of things,” Nick said timidly. 

“I love it...Nick, I love it so much! You actually made this yourself?!” She exclaimed with teary eyes. He smiled at her and nodded, then adding a quick,

“With some help, yeah. But there's a little bit more to it than that, try opening it up.” Judy stared skeptically at the necklace before noticing the small metal part at its side. She carefully opened, hoping not to get some of her fur caught, inhaled sharply. Inside was a picture of her and Nick, not just any picture, but the very first one they took together. 

At the start of their “relationship” Judy had been careful not to leave a paper trail in case her parents found out about it. Meaning that she could never save any of the pictures she took with Nick on her phone. So when taking the very first one, Judy realized that much to her displeasure, she couldn’t keep it. But Nick happily sent it to his own contact and promised to keep it safe until the day came when Judy could actually start saving the pictures. And that day came...just not how they would have previously expected. 

The photo was a miniaturized one from probably their first Saturday rendezvous. Judy had seen it countless times in their own apartment, hung on the wall in their bedroom, but seeing it in this tiny frame, within the locket. It felt different. Better. Judy was smiling wide in the photo, slightly flushed from how close the two were during the moment. If she remembered right Nick had a tight embrace on her, with a smug but caring look in his eyes. He didn’t open up entirely, still acting his normal cocky self. But after a while, Judy was able to see the real side of him.

It didn’t end there, on the other side of the locket, there was an engraved statement. 

_ Always and forever, I love you.  _

She looked back at him, biting her lip, about to burst into tears. Judy didn't want to admit it but Nick really outdid himself. He knew she’d be in love with the gift but not so much that Judy would end up crying. 

“Can I assume that means I win?” Nick said smugly, hoping to bring back her competitive spirit. It worked immediately because Judy then sprung back with a fire in her eyes, shaking her head violently. 

“Nuh-uh! My gift is just as good! Maybe even better.” She replied with a scoff. Nick laughed and arched an eyebrow.

“Is that so…? Judy nodded vigorously again, reaching deep into the bag in front of her. But she stopped, her paw was right on the item, about to take it out, but she stopped. Nick’s gift was more amazing than anything he had done for her in the past. Including the entire buying a friggin car for his future family. No matter that, Judy was hesitant but slowly pulled out the gift. 

A hand-sewn necktie laid in her paw, with a blueberry splattered fabric. Specifically, there were actual images of tiny blueberries caked all over the tie. Nick’s eyes grew three times bigger when she sheepishly lifted it up. Judy didn’t know if it was a good sign, or a bad one…

Suddenly, Nick broke into a smile that was half surprised and half impressed. 

“You made that yourself didn’t you?” He stated. “I think I’d be able to recognize your cross stitches.” Judy glanced back at him shocked and nodded. Nick didn’t say anything else but stared at her expectantly. 

“Can I put it on? Or…?” He questioned, smirking. She embarrassingly fumbled with the tie and handed it to him. Nick took it happily and promptly tied it around his neck. Judy must have spent weeks observing it, not too much to seem weird but long enough to hopefully get an exact measurement. But she became worried that Nick would have become suspicious by the countless times she’s hugged him since getting the idea. 

Anyway, Nick finished tying it and stared back at her. 

“How do I look?” He asked, somewhat diffident. And in honesty, Judy had never seen him wear a tie before. But now, with Nick still only 16 years old going on 17, he looked surprisingly mature. Sharp even. Especially given the fact that he was wearing a tie covered in blueberries. 

“Y-You look…” The right word escaped Judy and she left the question unanswered. Nick gladly finished it for her with a smug grin. 

“Suave? Admirable? All around  _ sexy _ ?” He said confident, practically growling the last word into her ears. She laughed and pushed him away jokingly. 

“I was going to say handsome. But, yeah, that works too.” Judy shrugged, giggling. He pulled her into a loving embrace, smiling as well. 

“Thank you. I love it.” Nick whispered, solely to her and her alone. Judy smiled and snuggled up to him. But the competitiveness in her didn’t die down, even 

“Soooo…..I win?” 

He laughed in disbelief.  “Yeah...no. I think I won.” Saying it with assurance. Judy scoffed in response.

“I literally made you a necktie with your favorite fruit! How is that not an obvious win?” She questioned. 

“Because my heartfelt locket trumps also heartfelt necktie. I thought that was obvious?” Nick exclaimed bluntly. Judy glowered at him for a few seconds before bursting in a long fit of giggles. 

“Maybe this year we both win?” She suggested. He contemplated it for a few seconds before shrugging. 

“Alright. But next year, I’m bringing out the big guns.” 

“Next year we'll have three other contestants.” Judy acknowledged, looking down to her stomach with a fond look. Nick followed her eye line and smiled, pulling Judy even closer. 

“Then I’ll just have to work three times as hard.” She chuckled, laying her head on his shoulder. 

“So will I.” 

**Merry Christmas Everybody!!!!!!! And A Happy Early New Year :33**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyy Guys.....
> 
> Ok first off, I'm sorry this chapter was late. I had a lot of stuff going on what with it being my last week in school. So in summary, lots and lots of tests. GAH, I wanted to burn my school down figuratively all week!
> 
> Still, I should have at least spent some time on this in hope of publishing it earlier. 
> 
> Anywho, I hope you guys like my cheesy holiday chapter. Specially made just before Christmas, but later for those of you who celebrate Hannukah. It might be one of my longest chapters, but I put a lot of love into it! You can tell by how many cheesy jokes I put in there. >:3
> 
> I've decided not to write a New Years' chapter because I didn't really see it fitting in, like the Halloween chapter either. But chapter 18 will consist of Nick's birthday. Since in this universe, his birthday is on January 12th. Still might be really off about that tho :p
> 
> After that I think will be a filler chapter, then obviously Judy's birthday, March 4th (NOT ACCURATE), then you all know what happens next.... 
> 
> THE BABIES
> 
> So given that information, I need to ask you guys for help. I've been thinking long and hard about what the kits will end up looking like but I'm still not fully sure. I've looked through many fan art pieces on Pinterest, Wattpad, deviant art, just about everywhere! And there are a lot of helpful ones, like the most popular of Violet Wilde-Hopps, or of Isabella Wilde. There are only more from there.
> 
> So I'm asking all of you, my loyal and crazy amazing fans, to comment below on what you think the kits should look like. I know some of you haven't been making any appearances lately, and I don't blame you for that, I'm taking longer breaks in between chapters so I understand. But I write solely through all of you guys. For inspiration and motivatiavtion. As cheesy as it may sound...you guys help me when I struggle through the start of a scene or missing part in a chapter. 
> 
> And you all know how I love being cheesy. 
> 
> I'm not even sure if anyone is actually reading this now, but if someone is, please comment below! It would mean the world to me and help a lot. And if you guys think I don't see your comments I definitely do! I just never have the time to respond to all of them with my busy schedule. 
> 
> Anyway, besides all that. I wish you all a Happy late Hannukah and an early Merry Christams. Or whatever else you may celebreate. I toast to 2021 and to the hope that it only gets better from here on out!
> 
> Stay safe! I love you all! And until the next chapter! 
> 
> Also, P. S
> 
> THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR LEAVING 145 KUDOS ON THIS!!! I've never seen so much in my life! It's my first story but still! I can't believe it! So thank you, all of you. This means a lot. And is probably the best gift I could get this year :3 
> 
> OK BYE NOW :333333


	18. Chapter 18: A Step Back Into Reality

**Chapter 18: A Step Back Into Reality**

* * *

Today started off as what seemed to be another great one. One where nothing should have gone wrong. At least, that’s what it felt like. Then how could it have ended so unpredictably…? 

**~o0o~**

Judy and Nick were currently yet again in their usual room at the Mercy Sahara Hospital. Thankfully this time, the visit there wasn’t as disappointing as the last. She was in the first few days of her 24th week and feeling much more confident in herself and the kits. Now that Judy could physically feel them, however, everything became much more serious from there. Again, not that it wasn’t already serious from the very beginning. 

“Now I wouldn’t want any of you two to worry, especially since Judy can feel the kits now, but she only has around three more months in her second trimester. So I’ll have to start seeing you both every week,” Virginia explained. 

“Are you sure there isn’t any way we could contribute some kind of payment? I feel bad for leaving it up to you and Karla…” Judy pressed concerningly. She simply smiled and nodded in response. 

“I’m sure. I’ve known Karla for a long time, both of you as well. And I can tell when two mammals deserve enough generosity.” 

“Fine. But I’m making a huge mental note to pay you guys back later.” Judy stated a fiery look in her eyes. 

“Carrots that's around thousands of dollars, two thousand if we're lucky,” Nick warned from beside her. 

“Then we'll have to work extra hard over the next few months!” She asserted before Virginia started lecturing her again about letting off on the stress levels in her own life. 

“Judy you’ll have to be even more careful with the duration of your pregnancy. There’ll be even more leg cramps, back pain, and more risks we have to look out for.” Dr. Firefox cautioned. Judy listened as she felt her ears droop in concern. Everything was only about to become harder from here on out. And she didn’t even want to think about the due date…

She shuddered at the idea that maybe this was all moving too fast until Nick put a paw on her shoulder in reassurance. The convincing look in his eyes was enough to push her worries somewhat away. But not entirely. It was almost as if there was this tiny voice in the back of her head, feeding off her fearful thoughts and only growing bigger with each new thing…

Judy instead tried to focus on Nick and Virginia, not on whatever was going on in her mind, even if it was concerning enough. 

“Everything appears normal, as I said I’ll probably have to start seeing Judy every week to make sure they grow on track. But besides that, the kits seem to be right on schedule for her due date.” Dr. Firefox beamed. 

“And when is that exactly…?” Judy questioned, ears still very much drooping down her back. 

“Well If you were to give birth exactly nine months from your first few weeks, then I’d say somewhere in April. But mothers can always go into labor earlier than expected so I wouldn’t say it's set in stone.” She elucidated. Judy sighed, deep in thought. That was only three months from now. And so soon after her birthday… 

Maybe everything really was moving too fast? 

“Then that gives enough time to prepare.” Nick grinned, trying to raise her spirits. It helped a little, his optimism always found its way to Judy’s own cloudy mood. She smiled fondly at him and nodded her head. 

“And just enough time to figure out everything else from there. Like the nursery, their names, and I still haven’t even bought enough of everything, o-or figure out which daycares to send to! Not to mention that -” Judy was spiraling in a blabbing mess, practically thinking of every worse possibility that had low chances of even happening. Thankfully Nick was there to stop her from delving too deep into this black hole she managed to dig herself into. 

“Carrots, we'll be ok. Sure, everything’s a little bit intimidating but it's not like we can’t get through this.” He said, consoling her. Judy leaned against him, letting out a fearful whimper but nonetheless, felt some of the crazy thoughts fade. 

“Have you both had any thought about trying some pregnancy classes? My friend went to this one that offered yoga and a lot of helpful classes that I can suggest to you.” Virginia offered. She immediately lifted both her head and ears upon hearing this. 

“Wait, they have classes that help with  _ this _ ?” Judy exclaimed. Virginia chuckled and nodded her head. 

“They do more than help, these classes offer helpful tips and ways to improve or overcome through the difficulties that come with the pregnancies. After my friend went to a few she said she’s never felt more assured and happy to have other mammals to talk about everything with her.”

“Really?” She asked, hopeful, and feeling 100% better than before. 

“Really. I’ll give you their address and you don’t have to worry about the price because everything there is completely voluntary.” Virginia offered, already writing down the information on a sticky note. “You can’t miss them, it's right inside the recreation center on 5th street.”

“Oh, I know that place! Sandy’s Desert or something,” Nick proclaimed. Judy felt her spirits rise quickly, only for them to fall back down again. Because the problem was, she would be going to a class filled with other mammals. Mammals that had every chance they could to judge her. Just like those zebras on the train way back when… 

Judy hadn’t really had the chance to think about the fact that most mammals could tease and ridicule her because of everything. Sure, there was Simone and Xena. But they were just self-obsessed teenagers with a grudge and poor moral choice. 

But in Zootopia...everything was bigger. The mammals, the public opinion, even the flipping doors were ten times larger than her. So if others actually figured out about who she was, and her background, who's to say they won’t treat her the exact same as back home? Moving to the city with Nick brought on its challenges, but the worst one of them all was the idea of not being accepted. Or even the idea that her own kits wouldn’t be either. 

All of this was the exact future possibilities Judy didn’t want to be thinking about. And yet...it was all that she could be thinking about at the moment. 

She and Nick left the hospital after saying their goodbyes and headed towards the parking lot. Their car was thankfully not too far away so Judy was glad not to stay on her legs any longer. He started up the car and headed in the direction of her university. 

“Oh, you have to make a left turn, not right!” She exclaimed before Nick turned the wrong way. 

“Haven’t you been there a handful of times already?” He joked, now driving in the right direction. Judy glared at him playfully with a scowl. 

“And aren’t you supposed to know every nook and cranny in the district like the back of your hand Mr. City Boy?”

“Alright, you got me there,” Nick laughed. “But seriously, do you like the classes?” She thought about it for a second before nodding vigorously, a content smile on her face. The campus was filled with mammals 100 times nicer than her classmates back in Willowbrook. Especially given the fact that there was none even close in personality with Selene. 

“It's better than back home, the classes are more advanced, and I love the curriculum. I’ve even thought about visiting one of their criminal justice lectures!” Judy beamed. Nick smiled fondly at her before returning his eyes to the road.

“Well, I’m glad. I’d be there with you too if it wasn’t for everything going on at the company...But studying at the library three times a week doesn't hurt my chances of passing the GED just like you.” He sighed but immediately bounced back to his optimistic personality. Judy felt her ears hung low in concern, she never liked seeing Nick work past his limit. Especially when it could be depriving him of becoming probably one of Zootopia's most impressionable managers.

“Is everything alright at the organization? The last time we saw your father he said everything was fine…” She questioned. However, in truth, the last time she and him saw John was weeks ago. 

“It was…” Nick began, his ears drooping in an identical way to Judy. “But then we face a bit of a problem with the cash flow. More and more mammals have considered stopping their donations. So to try and find a way around it my father and I have been going out on more meetings. I only hope that someone out there will consider our offers…” Judy placed a paw on his shoulder in support. Only then realizing they arrived at the campus and retracted it with a gloomy sigh. 

“Well, I hope things go over better today. Are you gonna be long tonight?” She pressed. 

“Nope, I’ll actually be home early for once in a while. Clawhauser offered to help with some of my duties. Sure is a nice guy, I’ve considered giving him a more permanent position but he’s still in college so I’d understand if he has too much on his plate.” Nick exclaimed. 

“You really in a position to offer jobs?” Judy smirked while grabbing her bag from the back seat. 

“Are you questioning my management abilities Carrots?” He said, placing a paw on his chest as if he were actually hurt. “Despicable.” She giggled and pecked him quickly on the cheek before heading out of the car. 

“Your right, how foolish of me. I’ll see you home for dinner, but don’t be there by 7:00!” Nick tilted his head in suspicion. 

“Why? Is something happening at 7:00? Judy shrugged but the smile on her gave it slightly away. And with the arched eyebrow on his face, she knew that not telling him anything would only make Nick become even more skeptical. 

“All I can tell you is that you can’t come home before then. Buuut, there may or may not be something planned...Just trust me, ok?!” He gave a salute and nodded in response, grabbing one last laugh from Judy before she closed the door and headed towards the school’s entrance. 

Fru was near the front, waving enthusiastically as she saw Judy. 

“Judy!!! Come on, we’ll be late for class!” She asserted with a peppy attitude. 

“I’m coming! Jeez.” Judy chuckled as she walked up the steps and joined her friend. The morning might have gone by somewhat stressful. But that didn’t mean the next few hours would too. 

Besides, it was after all only some college classes. What’s the worst that could happen?

Judy left the classrooms after her lessons had ended with Fru Fru. She didn’t know how many more she’d need to take until fully knowing enough for the GED but it was still informational to go to them. However, Judy knew that by the time the test would come her kits would have already been born. And the thought of having to focus on something different from them made her heart _ache_ in a weird way. 

She was loitering in the hallways with a thoughtful look on her face. Fru had just left to go to the bathrooms and said she’d be right back. But even a few minutes by herself could let Judy spiral into a merry go round of delirious thoughts. Her paws were roaming through her phone in hopes of finding something to take her mind of things. Preferably a text from someone, anyone. 

But in honesty, Judy secretly hoped to see a text message from her parents...She hadn’t heard from them directly since the one specific phone call months ago. And after the Clawsmas party, Judy found herself thinking about them time and time again. Maybe she felt the need to fix things with them. Or at least make it so there wasn’t this gigantic rift between them. 

“Hey, Judy!” She lifted her head to see an eager cougar running up to her. 

“Oh hey, Ava!” Judy replied, trying to seem like her usual peppy self. Instead of the hormonal one that always thought about depressing and stressful things. Yet another side effect of this never-ending pregnancy. 

“I wanted to ask if you're free next Thursday? Some mammals from Professor. Doolittle’s class were gonna visit Tundra Town for ice skating and hot cocoa.” She mused. Judy was about to happily say yes since that sounded like a great Thursday afternoon before taking into account what Ava had said. 

“Wait, did you say  _ next _ Thursday?” 

“Mhm. Is that a problem?” Ava questioned, concerningly. 

“Um, yeah...it kinda is,” Judy explained awkwardly. “I have a doctor’s appointment then and I can’t really miss these things.” 

“Oh! I-I understand...Yeah, you should probably go to that. Well, um, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow in class then?” She shrugged with a solemn smile while walking back to her group of friends. Judy had only now noticed them, previously assuming she was in the hallway alone. 

Judy waved goodbye and tried to focus back on her phone, or at least waiting for Fru to come back, but the obvious whispers coming from the group nearby were loud enough to capture her attention. 

“Ava you should stay away from her!” One mammal urged.

“What why? Judy’s awesome and kind. Besides, you all like her too right?” Ava murmured, confused. 

“Haven’t you heard the rumors about her?” Another pressed. Judy’s ears perked in slight interest, only because she felt the need to know what others were exactly saying about her. And since the exact moment felt eerily similar to the one where she found out about Xena and Simone’s plan. 

“What rumors?” Ava questioned. 

“Duh, the ones that she’s dating a predator,” Someone proclaimed. Judy gasped quietly but hoped none of them noticed. Her eyes were still firmly placed on her phone but her ears were pointed in their direction. 

“Guys you know that’s just gossip. And I don’t think it's nice to say things like that behind her back!” Ava protested. Judy felt a smile creep up to her lips as she continued to listen. At least there were  _ some _ mammals who were respectful enough. 

“It's not gossip! I saw her this morning and I’m one hundred percent sure she was kissing her boyfriend. Who was a fox!” The group let out collective gasps, except for Ava. 

“Judy can choose who she wants to date! And knowing her I’m sure he’s as great.” She scoffed. 

“Yeah, but dating a fox is kinda weird for a rabbit.” One said.

“Or just plain crazy!” Another added. Judy could feel her spirits dim and she just wished Fru would come back and help her leave. But why didn’t she just leave right now? Maybe there was just a primal instinct in her to stay and listen… 

“Ok, you guys seriously need to stop. I don’t like hearing stuff like this, especially not when it’s about mammals we know personally.” Ava countered, uncomfortably. She didn’t know why Ava even bothered to hang out with friends completely opposite to her own caring personality. Nonetheless, Judy continued to listen, only now, she wished she hadn’t. 

“Do you guys think he's the dude who got her pregnant?” One of them questioned aloud. It was then when Judy regretted the decision of allowing other mammals at the university to know about her pregnancy. Sure, it wasn’t as if she could easily hide it now. Especially given the outfit she was wearing at the moment, her favorite long cardigan and a loose strappy dress. But it was her own choice not to hide it. Starting her time at the campus with a web of lies could lead to a similar fate like back in Willowbrook.

“Ew I hope not! Who's ever heard of a fox impregnating a bunny. I’m surprised she hasn't bothered getting rid of it already?”

“Leave it up to prey and predator relationships to ruin our perfectly normal city...” One of the friends sneered. That tipped her over the edge. Judy decided she didn’t have to stick around and hear their insults so she started to put her phone into her purse and leave. But just before she started to head in the opposite direction towards the entrance of the university her ears picked up something else. 

“You know what, you guys are all acting like assholes. I think you should reconsider your life choices, Judy’s my friend and if you out of all mammals think of her like that then maybe we shouldn’t hang out anymore.” Ava’s voice echoed through the halls. 

“Fine whatever, not like we care or something…” One of her friends mumbled, disappointment lining their statement somewhat discreetly. Judy lingered for a tiny bit longer and then continued to walk away. But not without refusing to hide the content smile on her face.

**~o0o~**

After leaving the campus with Fru she and the shrew headed towards a nearby Trader Doe's. You see, the entire surprise she was planning for Nick tonight was for his birthday. Every year, exactly on January 12th at around 7:04, she and him would celebrate it. 

However, this year it was different. Not because it was their third year together or because she was actually living with him in the city. Even if those are valid reasons to classify this year as “different” the real reason behind it all is obviously due to the kits. After all their competing with who could get the other a better gift Judy thought it’d be sweet if she were just to make something simple. And it wouldn’t hurt to stay within their budget limit either. 

She was looking around Trader Doe’s with the help of Fru and Cooper in hopes of finding the perfect ingredients of what she was planning to make. Fru for the reason that she had ties in with the owner so they’d get first pick. And Cooper because of his baking sense. Judy just wanted to make something perfect for him, so she’d take all the help she could get. 

“If you're planning on making Nick anything food-related it better be blueberry flavored,” Cooper exclaimed in the aisle beside her and Fru Fru. 

“Well I was thinking about it, but I wasn’t sure since the tie I got him for the holidays was also blueberry-themed...Is there any other fruit he likes?” Judy questioned, pushing the cart with Fru sitting upon her shoulder. Cooper put a claw on his chin in thought before answering. 

“Before he moved to your hometown I remember him loving blackberries. But I’d still go with something more revolved around blueberries since he’s eaten them since before he could walk.” He replied with a laugh. They continued wandering around while she thought up the possibilities. 

“I guess I could try making mini blackberry popsicles with a blueberry drizzle? But I don’t think it screams meaningful for a mammal’s 17th birthday…” Judy sighed. 

“Don’t worry Judy! I’m sure whatever you make he’ll love it!” Fru squeaked favorably. She smiled and lent the shrew her pinky to hug. 

“Thanks, Fru.” The group endured roaming through each isle until Cooper suddenly gasped in acknowledgment. 

“Ooh, I know! You could try making him some of our mom’s famous cookie dough cake! He loved it as a kit.” He suggested. 

“But wouldn’t your mom be kinda mad for me using her recipe?” Judy pressed, slightly worried. 

“Well, the recipe was actually her grandmothers, our great-great-great grandma. They pass down a whole bunch of delicious recipes through the family. And since my mom seriously considers you a part of ours I bet she won’t hesitate to let you read it either!” Cooper beamed. 

“Ok! Then I guess I’m going to make some cookie dough cake. I’ll look up some basic ingredients online.” Judy smiled, opening her phone. However, in the process of doing so, someone ended up calling her. She read over the contact ID and let her smile fall. It was her parents….Fru noticed this and frowned. 

“Everything alright?” Judy immediately bounced back and put on a cheerful mask. 

“Yep! I just, um, have to take this. I’ll be right back though. Do you think you two can take care of the ingredients?” She asked, hoping they couldn’t see through her. 

“Yeah, you can leave it to us, Judy!” Cooper chuckled, allowing her to move Fru Fru onto his shoulder while she slipped away. 

Judy made a quick turn into the aisle two ways right from them. If her parents were calling her, willingly for that matter, it most likely couldn’t be good. But there was a small part of her that felt excited to hear from them. Or at least, hear what they have to say. She opened the call and waited anxiously when her mother’s voice came from the other side. 

“Judy?” 

“Mom! H-Hi, it's me, Judy. Your daughter…..So, um, can I ask why your calling? N-Not that I was busy! I mean, I’m not mad to hear from you or anything, just sorta -”

“Your rambling sweetheart,” Bonnie exclaimed in a motherly tone. 

“Oh, sorry. Guess I’m kind of anxious to talk to you again.” She laughed awkwardly. “Is...is dad there too?” There was a small silence and Judy could almost feel her mother’s hesitation when answering. 

“He...is. But I wasn’t sure if you’d want to talk to him.” Her mother resisted. 

“I suppose it’s alright. It is just a surprise to hear from you but to hear from him again I didn’t think would happen…” Judy mumbled. 

“We’ve been planning on it, it's just with the Winter Harvest he’s thrown himself into the farm and managing it. I just didn’t feel like it’d be fair to you if it was only me asking this…” Bonnie proclaimed. 

“Asking me what? Is everything alright?” She asked, unsure of what her mother meant. Although in honesty, whenever her mom started off a sentence like that she never really did. And whenever she  _ did _ start off their conversations like that it only ended badly. 

“Jude…” Her father’s voice suddenly began. “We wanted to ask you if you’d come home...” She processed what her father just said and bit her lip. 

“You...do? Even after everything?” Judy stammered. 

“Sweetheart we know you probably don’t forgive us,” Bonnie intervened. She internally scoffed, how would she in the first place? All the things that happened with them replayed in her mind and Judy tried to ignore the irritating fire roaring in her stomach. 

“But we want you back. Everyone back home misses you and I don’t know how much longer we can keep telling your younger brothers and sisters that you're staying at your aunt’s house in the city.”

“Wait, you  _ still _ haven’t told them about the kits? Or the fact that I basically left school and moved into an apartment with Nick?” Judy questioned, slightly offensive. She could hear her father grumble something when she mentioned Nick but with all the commotion in the background, it was hard to make out. But Judy could only assume it wasn’t anything nice. 

“Sweetheart, can you blame us? They wouldn’t understand.” Bonnie stated. 

“Well, it wasn’t like you both understood any of it either!” She snapped. “Dad literally tried to force me into an abortion mere minutes after finding out!

“I was doing it for your own good! And -” He started to retaliate before her mother muted the call to talk to him out of earshot. Judy stomped her foot angrily while waiting. She would have ended the call right then and there but that stupid subconscious of hers told her to wait and see what they have to say. Even if it would most likely induce her weekly migraines… 

They came back after a few seconds and her father continued from where he left off in a more composed manner. She only wished he could have acted like this the night she left. 

“What we’re trying to say, is that your mother and I want to wait until telling all of your siblings.” Stu proclaimed. 

Like you waited to go completely ballistic on me and Nick during that stupid dinner, Judy grimaced inwardly. She sighed deeply and absentmindedly looked up and down the aisle. 

“So you both really want me to come back home...?” Judy wavered.

“100% Love Bun,” Bonnie repeated, using her childhood nickname. Normally, she would love to hear her mother’s pet names for her. Loving the feeling of how it made her heart giddy and herself special among her siblings. But now, it felt like she was being told a lie. Like there was more to the situation. 

And there was. Because if Judy went back home, what would happen with her and Nick? Or all three of their children? 

“If I come home…” She hesitated. “Will you both accept me and Nick? Or will you treat him the same…?” There was silence on the other end, except, of course, for the occasional euphoric scream from one of her younger siblings. Judy knew her parents were doing their signature look, where they shared an uncertain glance. She resisted the urge to end the call, even if she knew what they were going to say next. 

“Judy…”

“No, let me guess,” She interrupted with a disbelieving laugh. “You’ll only let me come back if, I don’t know, give up my baby for adoption and cut off all my ties with the only mammal who would even care about any of this?” 

“Sweetheart we would never force you for that!” Her mother argued. 

“Like you  _ didn’t _ force me to get an abortion?” Judy replied sarcastically.

“Don’t you talk to your mother that way! Were only looking out for your best interest!” Her father warned. 

“If you were looking out for my best interest you’d let me have this baby…” She croaked, trying to overcome the irritating lump in her throat and speak clearly. All this time Judy would yell or argue with her parents when it revolved around her and Nick, but now all she could do was feel like crying. 

“Love Bun -” Bonnie tried to console her but Judy didn’t want any of her pity. 

“Don’t….d-don’t call me that. I can’t, I just don’t have the time to deal with this right now.” Judy stuttered, about to end the call when her parents just  _ had _ to get in the last word. 

“You can’t expect to go through with this!” Stu suddenly exclaimed. “You and your boyfriend -”

“Nick. You know very well that my boyfriend's name is Nick. Although I wouldn’t expect you to even acknowledge him if I ever came back.” She belittled. 

“Fine, you and  _ Nick _ ,” Her father struggled, “can’t expect to raise this child. You're not ready, and you're both only 16!” 

“Nick is turning 16 today and you both know my birthday will be in two months.” Judy sighed, exasperatedly rubbing the creases of her eyes together. 

“And then what?! You really plan on raising this kid before you turn 18. Before marriage?” He retaliated. 

“Yes, dad! I plan on doing everything I can for these kits because I don’t care if you won’t accept them, or me, or even Nick. I can do this, even if you both don’t want that.” She had been speaking so passionately that Judy didn’t even realize what she had let slip out. She said kits, plural. And it was too late to take it back. 

“Sweetheart...are you having more than one?” Her mother gasped. 

“I-I...um…” Judy couldn’t think, her mind was clouded with excuses or plain lies. Like, I misspoke, or you must have heard wrong, or the even more obvious, whaaat??” But if she just continued lying, it would throw her relationship with her parents out the window. Not as if it wasn’t on the edge of a windowsill already… 

“Yes.” Judy asserted. “In fact, I’m having three of them.” Her parents gasped on the other end of the call and it made her heartbreak into pieces when she could so clearly hear it as a disappointed gasp. Not the hopeful one or the one filled with unspeakable joy that they’d be left speechless. Instead, the only reason they could be left speechless was that their daughter disappointed them in more ways than one. Three ways exactly. 

“Bonnie I told you she looked too pregnant in that Clawsmas card!” Stu groaned, only making Judy roll her eyes in response. 

“If you're both so upset about hearing the news of your three grandkids then I suppose I won’t be coming home anytime soon.” She scoffed. 

“Judy - !” Her mother protested. 

“No mom! I’m not coming back. And for both of your information, I’m not only having three kits, but I’m also having two girls, a boy as well. So you better believe it when I plan on giving the best life they can, with two parents who love them. Not just one.” Judy ended the call and frantically tried to rub the tears out of her eyes. She still felt that stupid lump forming in her throat. And maybe for the first time in her life, Judy wanted to break down and cry instead of bottling up her feelings into pent up aggression. 

Every time Judy had the chance to fight back, she took it. At the dinner, the debate, and even Dawn somehow broke into their apartment. But what was the point of fighting back when nothing good came from it? After that dinner, she ended up running away from home. And the debate only ended with her switching schools and moving to the city. Everything that’s happened to her, happened because Judy stood up for herself. 

She stood up to her parents, to Dawn, and even if she hasn't had that intense moment with Selene yet she would most definitely do it now if she could. Just maybe not in her current situation. Judy rubbed her eyes again and sniffled. She wasn’t in any condition to fight with some self-obsessed vixen. Her eyes loomed over her phone screen, which was now blessing her with that same cute picture she had of Nick and her in the locket she got over the holidays. 

Judy smiled fondly and decided it was around the time she should head back to the others. It was only then when she realized how long the phone call went, which also made her worry that Fru and Cooper might have been waiting for her longer than expected. 

When she returned to the aisle she last saw them Judy was confused to not see anyone until remembering she had previously asked them to go look for the ingredients. So she headed towards the front of the store in hopes of running into the two at checkout. A few short minutes had passed but eventually, Judy caught sight of them and waved happily. 

“Hi! Sorry, I took so long.” She laughed, silently hoping they couldn’t see the dampness of the fur on her cheeks. 

“It's alright! But that was long for a phone call is everything OK?” Fru squeaked worriedly. 

“Oh yes! It was just Nick and you both know how we are with our long phone calls and everything.” Judy shrugged, rubbing her neck. Fru gave one last skeptical look but said nothing else. Cooper, on the other hand, gave a melodramatic sigh and pulled the cart towards an empty checkout. 

“My brother, the hopeless romantic. It was cute at first, especially because you guys have that cute romcom relationship, but all the lovey-dovey stuff becomes stale to us readers after a while.” He groaned, theatrically. 

“Readers?” Judy questioned, with a tilt of her head. 

“I mean...what’s up with the weather lately? Am I right?” Cooper exclaimed, focusing back on the groceries as opposed to the confused looks his friends gave him.  **(Headcanon, Cooper totally reads the story with his sister in their free time XD)**

The two waited in silence while waiting for Cooper to finish checking out all of the groceries, but Fru eventually broke it. 

“Are you sure everything’s alright? Your nose has been doing that occasional twitch when you're nervous for the last few minutes.” She pressed, concerningly. Judy hesitated to answer but deep down really didn’t want to drag in her friends through her family problems. 

“Yeah! I’m fine, great. Just...heh...I’m  _ really _ nervous about everything tonight. I’ve planned a bunch of Nick’s birthdays but I guess this is more serious now that we’re about to start a family together.” She mumbled. 

“Ah, ok. Well, I’m sure nothing can go wrong tonight! It’s like Cooper said, you guys have that adorable romcom relationship!” Fru beamed. Judy nodded in response, giggling. 

“Yeah, I guess we kinda are…” 

“Ok ladies groceries are paid for, your welcome Judy. And now we can leave,” Cooper suddenly interrupted, appearing behind them with two full stuffed reusable tote bags. 

“Thank you, Cooper,” She answered jokingly. “I’ll pay you back for it later.” 

“Don’t worry about it, I used my employee discount,” He exclaimed. 

“I didn’t know you worked at Trader Does? And my father knows all the employees” Fru interrogated.

“I didn’t, but I have a friend who does,” Cooper smirked while turning around to wave at a cheerful otter working the register he was just at. 

“How’d you pull that off?” Judy asked, jumping into the conversation. 

“Us Wilde brothers have our ways.” He chuckled. The girls rolled their eyes and shared a laugh with him as all three began to leave the building. But there was something hanging in the back of her mind. Judy truly was worried about tonight, and not just because of her parents or Nick. But possibly because of the fact there was this  _ feeling _ that everything might be different. 

Different meaning that, she was scared that Nick might reconsider everything. Hearing all the stupid, impossible warnings from her parents made Judy actually consider that they just might not be ready for this. I mean, what’s going to happen when the kits come?! She still didn’t even know how to put on a diaper, or the basics of raising a fox mixed bunny hybrid kit. Whatever may come out of her… 

But...it was like Cooper and Fru Fru said. They had that relationship only most would hope for. They’ll be fine… 

Right?

**~o0o~**

Now back at her apartment, and having around 20 to 10 minutes before the party, Judy was busy having the time of her life completing all the finish touches. As silly as it may sound. She was just a natural organizer who found it fun to clean and decorate her living room. Especially with the challenge of it being as small as any apartment living room could be. All the disadvantages excited her!

She was happily singing along to one of her favorite songs currently playing on the radio when her phone buzzed, causing Judy to sadly stop adjusting the couch pillows and walk over to check it. There were a few messages from Cooper, each reading, 

**Hey….so we may or may not be a tiny bit late for the party…**

**I’M SORRY, DON’T BE MAD!**

**Nina has us all tied up for a bit at the police station**

**Don’t ask ;[**

**We’ll keep trying to make it there in time but it's going to be a good thirty minutes until then…**

**Try stalling him!!!**

Judy felt her spirits sink with each message. Nonetheless, she texted Cooper back some reassurance and that they would all definitely be going over this Nina situation later. Her crazy antics continue to surprise this bunny. She then quickly moved to mull over a believable enough excuse to keep Nick out of the apartment complex. 

“Don’t come home, there's a fire in the building!” Judy explored, until quickly dismissing it with a shake of her head. That would only make him come home faster than she wanted to. 

“Change of plans! The surprise is waiting for you at Zootennial Stadium! Meet us there? Oh nevermind….” She struggled but finally gave up. Maybe dusting off the windows again might help her mind think of something. Judy continued at that for a good 15 extra minutes, trying to occupy her hands with something so hopefully, she wouldn’t freak out over the simplest things. 

*Cough Cough* Her parents, Nick, their relationship, the kits. Oh you know there's a list of possibilities. But it wasn’t until around her 5th time cleaning the same window did she hear the doorbell ring, lifting her spirits right back up again. It had to be Cooper and the other! 

Judy hastily put down the feather duster and rushed to the door with a skip in her step. Nick would be here any minute now and she just knew this party would be better than all of his previous ones combined! Not for the fact that they were together now but it was technically her first time planning his birthday. 

Since, in the past, they were still in the “friends with benefits” relationship. However, that never stopped Judy from sending a cheerful text on the day, having for it to only be followed by a cocky remark from Nick himself. Cheesy ones like, “Aw Carrots, I didn’t know you cared,” or, “Two years in a row? Wow. Are you catching feelings for me, Rabbit?” 

And she was, in that hopeless, hormonal way only a teenager could fall in love with. Judy opened the door instantly, hoping to see Cooper, Nina, out of jail or whatever she’s gotten herself tied up with, and their parents. But she didn’t see any of them. She only saw Nick, with a very surprised look on his face. 

“Nick!? You aren’t supposed to be here yet it's only….” Judy looked at the clock on their microwave and it read 7:40. Jeez, where in the world did the time go when she was organizing? It felt like 20 or 30 minutes, not maybe an entire hour?! Dang feather duster, captivating her with its amazing feather dusting…

“And a hello to you too Carrots?” Nick exclaimed smugly.

“I’m sorry! Hi! It’s just...the surprise, your family’s late, and I got so lost in dusting the windows that I didn’t even notice your car pull in.” Judy grumbled but still gave him a quick hug. 

“Is it better if I can come back later and pretend to act surprised?” He suggested but she quickly shook her head.

“No! It's fine. Besides, the party should have officially started at around 25 minutes ago but -”

“Nina’s in kind of a pickle I know. Cooper called me a while back too.” Nick chuckled. “Getting arrested on her birthday, that’s my sister for you.” Judy joined in as well, the two sharing a laugh over the rambunctious and mysterious vixen. 

“Soo, you wanna see what I have set up?” She proclaimed, moving aside so he could walk in. 

“I’d love to Carrots, lead the way,” Nick replied jokingly. Judy giggled but walked back into the living room and allowed him to take in the view. Now she didn’t want to brag, but Judy’s had more than enough experience with planning birthday parties. Especially for her own littermates. The only difference this time is that it was for Nick and more obviously themed around him. 

There were green and purple streamers hanging across the ceiling, and even the occasional black one if you could find it. And the coffee table holding all the food and refreshments. She hadn’t put in too much, in fear of becoming overbearing. But it looked simple enough to be called an accomplishment. 

Nick looked over everything with fond eyes, the smallest hint of a smile forming at his lips, but it became all too obvious that he was happy when seeing the cake she managed to make almost identical to the one his mother would bring out on his previous birthdays. Judy felt a tug at her heart, seeing him so happy, but focusing on why it made her feel strange.

“You actually made it feel like home…” He mumbled jovially. “Who am I kidding of course you did. You're my amazing girlfriend who I’d expect nothing less from.” Nick moved to embrace her and Judy happily accepted. The moment felt nice, and that was the problem. 

She was tearing up, for all the wrong reasons. The obvious sniffing noises were all too loud enough to recapture Nick’s attention from the party decorations to Judy herself. 

“Are those tears of joy?” He asked, hopeful. Judy bit her lip nervously and nodded, while also moving her paw back and forth in an uncertain way. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t have the best day. So seeing you act so excited for something as small as this makes me feel stupid for getting emotional over it…” She muttered. Nick chuckled darkly and grimaced himself. 

“My day didn’t go by as good either…” Judy instantly lifted her head and despite the tears showed a deep look of concern on her face. 

“What? What happened? Wait, was it because of everything going on at the company?!” She gasped. He shook his head but hesitated for a few seconds before answering while avoiding her eyes.

“No, it wasn’t that. On the way back home I….I ran into somebody. And it sorta shook me up, so I guess it's why I’m later than I said I’d be…” Judy bunched her eyebrows together in confusion. 

“Who? It wasn’t Dawn again right?” Nick laughed again, this one more gleeful, and shook his head again. 

“No, it wasn’t her. Thankfully.” This brought out a small laugh from her as well, even if she was struggling due to all the tears. 

“So who was it?” 

“As surprising as it was...I ran into Simone.” He explained, getting a gasp from Judy. 

“What?!” 

“I know, I’m pretty sure we both thought she was far away back in the country but that sneaky vixen always finds her way back to me.” Nick sneered. “Anyway, she said a bunch of stuff when she saw me but it doesn't matter now…”

Judy could see the hurt look in his eyes and she felt the need to dig in deeper 

“Nick what did she tell you?” She pressed, reaching up to his shoulder. But he immediately moved towards the coffee table and tried to force the conversation into a different direction. 

“Wow this all looks amazing I don’t even know where to start!” Judy bunched up her eyebrows again and pursued him. 

“Nick…”

“I mean Cooper had mentioned you liked baking just as much as he did but I didn’t expect you to be this great at it?!” He exclaimed, focusing on the food instead of her. Which in turn, only made her irritation rise faster. 

“Nick! Please!” She yelled, causing him to let out a pained sigh but thankfully, turn back towards her. Judy moved towards the couch and patted the spot next to her. 

“You can tell me.” He reluctantly plopped down beside her, his head in his paws, and finally began talking again. 

“She said...she told me that….Ok, it started off with her acting all smug to run into me and everything. And I tried to walk away but she persisted, as usual...” Judy nodded calmly and listened as he went on, trying to imagine the situation playing out in her mind. 

“Simone went on and on about me and you. Saying how ridiculous I had to have been, or just plain embarrassed to be with you. She thought it was funny, funny that I was hiding out in the Burrows before only to come back to the city with some prey...” His voice strained to recount the exact words. Judy’s ears hang low, she was letting Simone’s words get to her too. 

“But I kept on ignoring her, even though she continued to call out to me when I walked away. Staying stupid stuff like I should break up with you, or that I was just being used again as the last time…” Nick then turned to her, a serious look on his face. 

“I will never think like that, I promise.” 

“How can you be sure….?” She didn’t mean to let it slip out but her thoughts were loud enough to be said. Everything that stupid voice was telling her was coming out through her own voice. 

“Of course I’m sure! Carrots, how can you say that?” He exclaimed. 

“I don’t know maybe because we probably never should have been together in the first place?!” It was all tumbling out now. All the second-guessing. The rude remarks from those mammals, her parents, everyone around her. Judy couldn’t take it back now. The dam holding everything back was far from being fixed. Nick glared at her, obvious hurt showing in his eyes as he struggled to speak up in protest. In anything really. 

“You talked to your parents today. Didn’t you?” 

“More like they did the talking…” She mumbled.

“And what? They tell you again how a terrible match we are and you listened to them?!” He seethed. 

“Of course not! It's just...today was too much. With too many mammals all saying the same things. And I couldn’t ignore it anymore…” Judy shrugged, averting his gaze. 

“So you decide to listen to what they’re saying? That I’m a fox and you're a bunny, and it’s just wrong?” Nick questioned, his ears twitching as if deep in thought. 

“Well, it isn’t as if most mammals out there even accept the entire idea of it!” She snapped.

“I do! Isn’t that enough?” He yelled, causing Judy to flinch. She had never heard him raise his voice, or with such a pained tone. Except for maybe the time she had listened in on his conversation with Simone back at their old school. 

“It is enough! But for how long? Don’t you expect everyone to act like this in the future, maybe worse after the kits are born!” Judy argued, standing up in order to face him in the eye. 

“I expect that every day when we walk out that door. In the district, public transport, and I’m not even surprised your parents acted like that either...Most mammals aren’t understanding here in the city, they might never be. But that is exactly why we’re trying to fix that, me and my father, and everyone else out there who has half a mind to speak up against this.” He exclaimed, before somewhat mumbling the last part. “I would’ve expected you would too...”

“Of course I do!” She retaliated, clearly hearing his last words. 

“Really? Because it sure seems like you're focusing more on what other mammals have said about us than ignoring it completely.” He scoffed. 

“I can’t believe this…” Judy sighed in disbelief, walking away from him. From... _ this,  _ this stupid argument. Couldn’t he understand where she was coming from, from her own point of view on all of this? Sure, she was just forcing her pent up aggression onto him. But after hearing everything today from so many different mammals, yet all of them were saying point-blank the exact same thing. Judy couldn’t take it anymore. 

Nick followed after her, his paw grabbing her own in an attempt to turn her around. They were staring at each other, a strained look in her eyes, while a betrayed look in his. Judy bit her lip regrettably, his eyes looked the exact same from the time she saw him with Simone. Hurt. And scared. 

He was scared...scared that everything that happened with her, just might happen again. But he knew that she would never do that. Right? 

“Judy.” Nick began, instantly grabbing her attention given the fact he almost never uses her real name. Except of course, when the situation they were in became much more serious. And this was one of them… 

“Do you believe them? That we really aren't’ made for each other at all…” His voice wavering here and there. 

“No. I don’t! But we have to consider the fact -” She began but was interrupted by the roll of his eyes and sudden detachment from their paws. 

“Save it.” He growled. “I already know what you’re going to say.” Her eyes squinted, trying to keep them from tearing up again as she tried to pull him back. 

“Nick -!”

“Judy I tell you that it doesn’t matter what other mammals think and yet you continue to go on and on about the fact they even say those things in the first place! Why can’t you feel ok with what you have now instead of listening to everyone else’s opinions?”

“Because what if they’re right?!” She screamed, silencing him. “What if...what if we’re not meant to be...There’s a chance that we might not even still be together in the future…” What Judy had said must have sent him over the edge because she could see precisely now that he was angrier than ever before. But what was worse, was that he was angry at her... 

“How could you say that? Nick questioned in distrust. 

“I’m not the one saying it! My parents -”

“Who cares what your parents think!” He pleaded, before turning away. Nick had his paw over the side of his muzzle and she only now noticed how different he looked to her at the moment. His eyes were watering…

What had she done…

“Nick, listen to me -” Judy tried to fix everything but everything she -  _ they _ said was out in the open now. How could it be fixed?

“I’m done listening Judy. If you can’t even trust in my own words then who can say you’ll trust me later? Huh?” He exclaimed, lifting his paws in accusingly. 

“What...Nick, no. I -” She tried to speak up but Nick completely ignored her. 

“Actually, if we can’t even listen to each other then maybe it's time we think about looking over our own…” He scoffed. Judy stared back at him and tried to speak through her shock clearly. 

“Are you serious?” She frowned, her nose twitching. Nick obviously noticed this but only continued to stare at her with that betrayed glare. Judy internally scoffed and stared back at him, inwardly trying her hardest not to tear up. 

“Fine then, if that's-what you want...” 

“Fine.” He proclaimed, looking away from her. None of them spoke, only continued to stay silent. Nick’s filled with hatred while Judy avoided him with an immediate interest in their floor. And the awkward silence continued...awkwardly. 

She fidgeted with the tiny stubs that could pass as “claws” on her paws. But she felt the need to have in one last word. Judy opened her mouth but became suddenly interrupted from the instant slamming of their front door opening. 

“Salutations love-birds!” Nina’s voice suddenly screamed. She and Nick turned their heads, and she could feel her nose twitching increase by the second. 

“Hope we didn’t interrupt any smooch fest you two had planned but I am officially out of my holding cell and ready to embrace my freedom!” Nina squealed, throwing one of her paws in the air. She sighed, giggling, and took a look around the room. “I feel like I haven’t seen the outside room in forever, the apartment….it looks so different.” 

Cooper came from behind her, rolling his eyes. “You were in there for 30 minutes it’s not like you joined a gang or something.” 

“Won’t you don’t know can’t hurt you, Christopher…” She murmured but quickly moved away from him to give Nick a celebratory pat on the back. 

“Happy birthday baby bro! You may have my face but we both know I’ll always be the prettier one.” Nina smirked. He chuckled stiffly in response, eyes still planted on Judy but trying to refrain from scowling. 

She kept her own gaze still on the floor and laughed quietly in response. Their timing could not have been worse...And this party could not have been at a better time...Said nobody ever. 

Judy’s eyes moved instinctively around the room and ended up landing on Victoria in John, who was still near the doorway. He was helping put away her coat, in that lovey-dovey married couple way. She smiled bittersweetly while watching the two when suddenly Fru Fur’s words from today came back to mind.

_ “You two have that adorable romcom relationship…” _

She chuckled darkly and scoffed, not loud enough for anyone to hear. It sure seemed that way before...but not now. Not any longer…

**To Be Continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off...this is the biggest disclaimer in the series...THEY WILL NOT OR WILL EVER BREAK UP
> 
> This is just a hiccup, as most of you may know the ironic title of the chapter is "A Step Back Into Reality" and in reality, most relationships are those cheesy ones in romcoms.
> 
> So I felt the need to make their own more realistic. And we all remember the actual fight they had in the movie, which ended with them making up, which is what I plan of having them do as well. 
> 
> I can't make my babies suffer!!!! (DISCLAIMER, They ain't MY babies, their Disney's or whatever :[)
> 
> Now some of you may be saying, "IMPOSTER! Who are you and what have you done with our romance obsessed author?!"
> 
> Well, I have my answer for you amazing readers. I'm still here. I just felt that the story needed its monthly dose of angst. And I'm not always romantic and cheesy corny jokes. Occasionally I enjoy some drama from time to time as well. >:333 
> 
> Hope you guys like the chapter, it is officially the longest I've ever written. Hitting over 8,500 words. Sooo, that is also the reason why this one was later than usual! IM 100% SORRY FOR THAT
> 
> I hate making you guys wait, especially those of you who really like the story. Who am I kidding you all do >:p (JK JK JK JK XD) But! It's a new year, and I will stick to a consistent schedule, even despite my school time because I know I can do it! I'm staying in for this till the end. 
> 
> Mark My Words! This story will be finished!!!! Or may I never be blessed with the presence of amazing fanfiction ever again!
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all have an awesome 2021! Let's hope for a better and healthier year!!!
> 
> Till the next chapter!!!!!!! :3333


	19. Chapter 19: Just A. Hiccup

**Chapter 19: Just A Hiccup**

* * *

Being a determined and organized individual, Judy always followed a series of mantras. Whenever things became too stressful or even just a tad much for her to handle, she would always remind herself of these mantras to steady her back into reality. For example, one of her favorites always was and will be, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” But the reason that specific mantra came to mind whenever Judy was afraid of something catastrophic or potentially life-changing wasn’t because she was afraid per se. Rather it being the fear of it happening in real life with its entirety being one of the most horrific things in existence. 

Yet even now, after Judy had experienced the one thing she never hoped to happen. It still did. No matter how many times she begged or wished for a different outcome, she didn’t have the power to undo what’s already been done. 

Now, it wasn’t like she and Nick had necessarily caught the other cheating or anything else nearly as bad. As if  _ that _ would ever happen...But the entire feeling and unknown territory were new to her.

Couples fight! But it doesn't mean they can just both overcome what had conspired between them so quickly. Both she and Nick had ended up saying things that most significant others would in the same situation. Relationships are, and always will be, built on trust. So when even the whisper of untrustworthiness slithers its way into a conversation between two mammals happily in love, it could derail things pretty fast from there… 

So now, Judy was comfortably perched on her countertop while absentmindedly playing with her pendant (Which coincidentally only made her think of Nick even more) and trying to think of ways for the both of them to get past this. Or at least to find some way back into their perfect little bubble where nothing was wrong. But could that really be a step in the right direction? 

Cooper was there as well, speaking animatedly about his infuriating adventure with having to deal with Nina and her “escapades.” He wasn’t aware of the situation as of yet, so instead of being right by her side, he was venting about Nina being the chaotic mammal that she is. 

“I can’t believe her. Can you? I mean who deliberately steals a stop sign only to then throw it off a bridge?” He exhaled, shaking his head. 

“Mhm…” Judy let out a hum in response, half involved in their conversation while also half focusing back on her dilemma. Cooper thankfully hadn’t noticed anything yet, nor had anyone else in Nick’s family upon their untimely arrival hours before. But putting up a facade that everything was still perfect was hard in itself. 

“When she said she wanted to do something crazy for her 17th birthday I would’ve assumed it to mean something like getting a tattoo! Not going against the law!? But being Nina of course I should have guessed it would be something illegal...” He proclaimed, taking a swing of his cranberry juice tiredly. 

“Uh-huh…” She answered, staring at the surrounding areas in front of her with a blank face. This time, however, Cooper  _ did _ take notice of her lack of response and decided to do something about it. 

“But things started to  _ really _ go downhill when she stole that firetruck. I told you about it, right?” He pressed. 

“Yep,” Judy replied curtly. Cooper let out an annoyed huff and decided to take it even further. 

“Yeah well did I tell you about how she managed to take over the government in under 5 minutes? And ban  _ papayas _ for whatever reason?” He questioned, an impatient tap on the side of his glass. 

“100%...” She sighed. 

“Ok, what’s going on?” Cooper interrogated, finally fed up and past his limit. “You’ve been acting weird!  _ Plus _ , your ears are all droopy and sad! You look like a 13-year-old who had their first existential crisis.” 

“No! Cooper I’m fine, there isn’t anything -!” Judy tried to protest but the concerning and persistent look in his eyes made her sure that he wouldn’t be dropping the topic anytime soon. She lowered her head with a melancholic sigh and grumbled dejectedly. 

“It’s me and Nick. We…we got into a fight and -” Judy started to explain when Cooper suddenly morphed his expression from brotherly concern to absolute outrage. 

“What! I swear on my whisk that when I get my hands on him -”

“Don’t!” She pleaded. “It wasn’t his fault...I said something stupid and now he thinks that…that I don’t believe in us anymore…” 

“What? How?! You're pregnant with his kits.” He exclaimed. “And shouldn’t the fact that you haven’t gotten an abortion or even broken up with him yet prove that you believe in the two of you already?” 

“I thought so too...But after what happened, I’m not even sure anymore…” Judy sighed. Cooper returned to his concerned expression and stood beside her, placing a paw on her shoulder for comfort. 

“Do you wanna talk about it?” He suggested. She bit her lip and nodded vigorously. If Judy continued to listen and converse with the doubting voices in her head she was bound to go crazy with uncertainty. And talking with someone while allowing every stressful thing that had been nibbling at her thoughts to really spill out might help in more ways than one. 

“But we should, um, probably move somewhere else so no one else hears us.” She hesitated, looking back into the living room only to notice it had become empty except for John who was tapping his foot along with some old country blues song. Nick, however, moved to the balcony with Nina and their mother. The twins were laughing while listening to their mother speak goofily about something. 

She looked at the scene with a wistful expression. Given that everything seemed to appear that way to her as of late. Judy sighed and took Cooper’s paw as he helped her climb down from her spot on the counter and the two walked out of the kitchen and into the bathroom. Because what’s more private than your own private bathroom? Nothing. Unless you happen to own some kind of survival bunker.

Which would only make sense if she and Cooper were inside of Nina’s bedroom and not her own apartment. 

As they walked by Cooper’s father Judy’s eyes found themselves back outside again. Only this time, it was Nick who was talking while his mother and Nina listened. He had that stupidly handsome smirk on his face and she wondered if he was faking it. Or at least sticking to his own favorite mantra. “Never let them see that they get to you.”

But Nick had let her see that she got to him. During their argument, he had looked so broken after what she’d said that Judy could swear she saw the moment where his heart broke exactly. And it wasn’t like he hadn’t let down his walls around her before. The only difference this time, however, was that he let them down out of fear, and trust. He trusted her enough to show his vulnerability. But would that really be the case any longer? 

Cooper continued dragging her by the arm as she stayed trapped in her own thoughts. Judy  _ really _ needed to get out of this cage that managed to trap her. A cage only filled with doubt, with fear, and with the idea that everything that  _ could _ go wrong,  _ will  _ go wrong. Leaving her alone with her mind was only a recipe for disaster. 

Which we can so clearly see given the unfortunate events that conspired before. Hah...Irony! The only thing Judy didn’t put into factor. 

The distance from the kitchen to the bathroom was considerably small in length, but add a bunny who was solely enveloped in her own demise, it felt like walking around the entire city. At least all this worrying and stressing out took her mind off of the pain and unbearable discomfort provided through her pregnancy. 

Cooper shut the door as she leaned against the wall, still fumbling with her pendant. The bathroom was surprisingly large for a budget apartment so she never felt cramped whenever inside, but they might as well have been given the significant difference in each other’s sizes. 

He perched against their shared sink, slightly hunched over due to the ceiling not cooperating with his height, and laid his head on his paws while perking his ears up expectantly. 

“So…? How did it start?” Judy chuckled at his near childlike interest before starting to recount what exactly happened the hour before he arrived with the others. 

“Well, I was still dusting the windows when I heard the doorbell ring.” She began. 

“Stress cleaning. Continue,” Cooper added nonchalantly. Judy rolled her eyes but proceeded. 

“I thought it was you guys at the door but it was Nick so I was unprepared.” 

“Of course he showed up early. My baby bro has always been so persistent, even as a kit.” He sighed. 

“Yeah...But that’s neither here nor there. The short story is, he had a bad day, ran into Simone, and she started bad-mouthing our relationship. The argument only really started after I asked him if he would ever think we should break up…” 

“Why would you say that?  _ Do you _ actually think he might ever think that?” Cooper questioned. 

“Nick asked the same thing! And I tried to explain but everything just kinda started spilling out and I couldn’t figure out to hold back...It was like, this fuse in my brain was ignited. And all this fiery mess started sparking everywhere and I didn’t have any nearby fire extinguisher to put it out fast enough! Judy cried. 

He continued to listen, at one point placing a paw on her shoulder in support. 

“Well, things like that happen in relationships. Especially given your condition Judy. You’re pregnant. Did you sorta expect to get through the rest of this without becoming an emotional and doubtful mess?” Cooper joked. She burst into a fit of giggles and nodded. Instantly feeling somewhat better by his uplifting banter. 

“Yeah, I suppose it was kind of inevitable.” Judy smiled bittersweetly. 

“Exactly! And I’ve seen enough soapy love dramas to know that arguments like this pass over pretty quickly. Trust me, you guys will be back to normal in no time. Maybe even stronger than before.” He said reassuringly, before playfully rolling his eyes in a joking manner. 

“Just imagine how much more cheesy you two will become. Probably even more in love with the other than Tony and Maria in that movie, West Bite story.” 

“Oh, I love that movie!” She proclaimed, feeling her spirits rise with hope. 

“Who doesn't? And besides that, I don’t think it's a bad thing for you to air out your grievances. Because if you keep bottling them up, this could happen again. That’s why it's so important for you two to communicate with each other, about what’s bothering you, or if you feel scared about something, anything like that.” Cooper advised. 

Judy stared at him for a few seconds before laughing heartily. 

“Where were you before I had my crazy breakdown?” 

“Probably being awesome somewhere, I don’t have time to remember all my infamous appearances around the city.” He laughed. “But you should talk to him. Not now, but whenever you're ready…” 

“Ok. I’ll try to speak to him when everybody’s gone home.” She declared

“Great. Then I can officially declare this pep-talk over, and 100% successful.” Cooper exclaimed, mimicking the closing of an imaginary book in his paws. Judy laughed and stood up carefully, an arm behind her back to stretch, and she wrapped the free one around the curve of his neck. 

“Thank you…” She mumbled exasperatedly, feeling slight relief as a weight lifted itself off her shoulders. Yes, Judy hadn’t even begun speaking with Nick about their argument. But just allowing herself to vent about the problem and complain about everything else that bothered her felt just as amazing as talking with him already. 

They weren’t perfect, Cooper helped her acknowledge that. And as most mammals who try to overcome stuff like this always say, “Acknowledging the problem is the first step to recovery.” 

Now, all that’s left between Nick and her, is how exactly would she get them heading in that direction in the first place?

**~o0o~ Meanwhile (6 minutes ago) On the Balcony ~o0o~**

“In the last 17 years of raising you,  _ never _ did I expect to be spending one of your most important birthdays in a police station out of all places!” Nick’s mother proclaimed, shaking her head with a laugh. 

“Mom if you didn’t expect that now, then what in the world did you expect the first few minutes she was born?” Nick pressed jokingly.

“Ahh my first 7 minutes in the world…” Nina reminisced, smiling. “Y’know I was already planning out ways to get rid of Cooper and become an only child, but then  _ this _ furball was born shortly after and I had to delay my plans by a little.” She pouted while gesturing to him. Nick rolled his eyes and smirked. 

“And how exactly do you plan on becoming an only child now?” He questioned. She waited a few seconds before answering, an obvious glint of wickedness in her eyes. 

“How else baby bro? Outliving each...and every...one of you...” Nina drawled maliciously. Nick knew that she was joking but with her, it was always impossible to tell so he cautiously stepped closer to his mother who barked out a hearty laugh while witnessing the twins. 

“You two are still the same...17 years together and not even a smidge different.” Victoria chuckled. 

“Oh, he’s undeniably different!” Nina proclaimed, flinging an arm around his shoulder. “Barely legal voting age and already some big family man. Buying cars and whatnot.”

He tensed slightly, but decided to continue with the cheerful facade he was putting up for his mother. Out of all the mammals who were at the party right now,  _ she _ most definitely could not know about their fight. It was a party. They were all laughing, having fun, being happy… And there wasn’t any need to bring the euphoria of that down.

“I’m proud of you.” Victoria suddenly blurted. “Both of you. Even if  _ one _ of you still manages to get in and out of trouble continuously.” 

“Here here!” Nina triumphant, giving a peppy salute. They laughed and Nick listened as his mother went on. 

“I’m proud the two of you both managed to go out into the world and take it head-on, without any hesitation. You’ll both always be my brave little kits.” She cooed, pinching them both on the cheeks in that annoyingly affectionate motherly way. He cringed on the outside but felt that same warm feeling in his heart whenever his mom said things like this. 

“Aww, thanks, mumsy.” Nina hummed, in an odd accent. 

“Thanks, mom,” Nick added, moving to embrace her as his sister followed in pursuit. The three stayed liked that until Nina broke off from the hug and instantaneously switched her attention to a passerby on the street. 

“HEY!” She yelled, grabbing the attention of the mammal and of Nick and his mother. The two merely stared at her with either confusion or embarrassment. 

“Yeah, you!” Nina exclaimed as they gestured to themselves in obvious bewilderment. 

“I like your hat! Very stylish!” She beamed. The mammal suddenly became very flushed and continued on their walk, probably not used to such compliments from screaming vixens and their balconies. 

“Aw, man...I wanted to say their outfit looked pretty too…” Nina grumbled dejectedly. Nick and Victoria immediately burst into a cacophony of roaring giggles. She stared at them in response, unaware of what exactly was so peculiar about what she had done. 

“ _ You _ ,” Nick exclaimed with a smirk, once finally settling down. “Are going to get a restraining order added to your criminal record.” Nina scoffed and punched him in the arm. 

“For your information, Nicholas,” She emphasized. “My criminal record is none of your business. And I’d prefer the words, hustling testimony.” 

“Oh quit bickering you two. It’s a perfect ending to a somewhat perfect day and I just want to enjoy the small time I have with my children. I mean, just look at this view! It doesn’t get any better than this…” Victoria murmured fondly. He and Nina both turned their attention to the landscape capturing their mother’s attention.

An effervescent sky. Filled with spirals of orange and pink, with the rare splotch of blue and purple. Giving the sky a sort of...fairytale feeling. The nostalgic one, that you’d normally see during the last few hours of the day here in Savannah central. 

Victoria and Nina looked at the view with a pleasant expression. Nick, however, stared at it bittersweetly. The perfect ending to a perfect day...Hah, yeah right. He indistinctly looked behind him, expecting to see his father swaying alone in the living room and Judy and Cooper talking in the kitchen. Instead, he only saw his father. 

Nick hadn’t seen the two leave, nor was he aware of Judy letting Cooper know about their “situation” at the moment. But he had kept his eyes on Judy ever since his family ever so suddenly entered their apartment after the fight. And staying outside for the last half-hour with Nina and his mother sure sounded better than talking with her. 

Why? Well, because he was furious. Furious with her, with her parents, and with every mammal that stared at them once they left the apartment building. All the judging stares and surprised whispers got on his nerves. But at the start of all of it, he pushed it down. Solely focusing on Judy, their relationship, and the kits. 

Everything he focused on nowadays, was the kits. And Nick had no complaints. He didn’t necessarily care about what others would say if they saw them with their kits in the street. And he definitely didn’t care about what her parents thought about them or the family he planned to raise with her either. But when all of the stares and the warnings from Simone and Bonnie and Stu started to make Judy herself see differently,  _ that’s  _ when he started to care. 

Still, he loved her. At the end of the day, when everything else went wrong, he  _ still  _ loved her. Nick just wanted desperately for her to realize that. To realize that no matter what Simone or her parents have to say about them, he loves her. 

What hurt the most was that he wanted to marry her. It was inevitable, of course, what with Judy already being pregnant. Nick would have proposed to her the second she told him but they were still only 16 at the time. And he was still just a kid, they both were. 

So...he hesitated. Nick had enough money saved up. But instead of buying a ring and probably freaking her out even further, he bought a car. And that seemed like a step in the right direction. And that maybe, he could  _ actually  _ do this with her. They both could. 

Don’t get him wrong, Nick was still planning on asking her. When the time was right, and the kits were born, and they were both in a place where they could feel ready. Because, honestly, he had been in love with that girl since the first time she proved him wrong. 

Making him see that the world really wasn’t all out to get him. 

And then the fight happened. Now, he’s here. Staring out at a beautiful sky, on the evening of his 17th birthday, feeling terrible. Because all he wanted to do was apologize. But what for? She doubted him and their relationship. And she was the one to even suggest in the first place that he  _ might _ listen to Simone and everybody else. 

But she was also the love of his life. And the mother of his kits -  _ their _ kits. So shouldn’t that be enough to overpower the anger? To make him forgive her instantly so they could just go back to the way things were. Back into the perfect bubble, where nothing ever seemed to go wrong. Yet how come, after their near 3 years together, have so many things done just that? 

Nick didn’t know where to start. To forgive or not to forgive.  _ That _ was the question. He’s so distraught that he’s quoting dead historical figures. If he caved in right now, what would happen? Would she say sorry as well, tell him that she never should have said any of those things in the first place? 

And no matter how gravelly he wanted Judy to say all those things. None of it mattered if they didn’t speak with each other. 

He just wasn’t sure, that when the time comes, what they’d even say…Or when they’d even say it...

**~o0o Present Time ~o0o~**

“Thanks again, so much, for coming and everything,” Judy exclaimed, as she and Nick gave their last goodbyes to his family in the hallway. A bit dramatic for mammals who only live three doors down from each other, but they were those emotional families who take Clawsmas photos in matching sweaters. Or plan their weekends together. 

Heartwarming, but kinda cheesy for everyone. Scratch that - five cheese pizza kind of cheesy.  _ That _ kind of cheesy. 

“Well I’ll be planning your birthday in two months, so you’d better emotionally prepare yourself when the party I plan is  _ most definitely _ better than yours.” Nina bragged. Judy rolled her eyes at her until Cooper suddenly felt the need to add on to her sentence. 

“And my baking skill will obviously outshine yours…” He chuckled while she glared at him. 

“ _ Haha _ , my party was great and you know it.” Judy declared, glancing at Nick for a split second. The party was  _ meant _ to look great, and it did. But after the fight all the balloons and streamers and fragrant cakes only made her want to cancel it right then and there. That or throw up in the bathroom. 

“Well, then I suppose the next time we’ll see you both again would be  _ your _ birthday sweetheart! That is if you're not planning to have a baby shower before your then?” Victoria questioned. 

She looked hesitantly at Nick. He kept his gaze for what seemed like an instant but Judy desperately wanted it to be longer than that. She stared at the floor instead, hoping her heart would just shut up and that no one would notice how the atmosphere in the room became ten times tenser.

“Uh, no. No. We weren’t planning on having one. They always seemed like such a big fuss, and party planning is pretty expensive, I should know.” Judy laughed nervously. 

“Oh, well the decision is always yours! You two enjoy your night, and  _ you _ keep being my amazing baby boy.” Victoria smiled, placing a quick kiss on Nick’s cheek before departing with John’s arm looped in hers. Nina and Cooper gave Judy one last hug before leaving, the latter whispering to her a quick “Talk to him!” before leaving as well. 

She sighed and stood in front of the door for a few more seconds and watched them all scurry into their apartment leaving her alone. 

Wait what?

Judy turned around only to realize that Nick wasn’t there beside her anymore. Rather, he retreated back into their apartment and far away from her. Just like they have been for the entire night. Far apart…

Sighing, she walked into the apartment, closing the door behind her. Once inside Judy could see that he was now back outside again. Back on that dang balcony. Figuratively miles away from her, from their fight, and from whatever else happened to be going on. He was in his own little bubble. Not filled with cheesy romance and lovey-dovey couple things, but just the opposite. 

With an irritated huff, Judy walked closer to the balcony’s open door, feeling the warm evening air brush against her fur then paused. 

She suddenly had a feeling rush past her. The stupid kind, filled with doubt and compelled by your subconscious. One telling her that it didn’t feel right. It didn’t feel right to talk to him right at that second. But what else was she supposed to do?

Cooper had told her to talk to him and she planned to do so! It was her plan, Judy’s plan. The plan that ended with them making up, and bouncing back. Just like Cooper said. She wanted to but just didn’t know where to start. And it was obvious he didn’t know how to either. Given the fact, he left the second his parent’s judgment was out of sight and out of mind. 

She hesitated, but eventually listened to the feeling and moved away. They would talk when the time came. When it truly _ felt _ right for them to. Judy walked away from the balcony’s entrance and headed towards the bathroom instead. Deciding that she was in need of a very relaxing bath to at least ease her mind for the rest of the night. Still, warm water and bubbles weren’t a powerful enough combination to fully take her mind off of everything. 

Closing the door, and yet again isolating herself from Nick and all the world’s problems, Judy leaned against the door with a sigh. She moved to the bathtub and turned the knob, an exasperated look on her face. The water started rushing and Judy was in her  _ own _ bubble. A bubble in the bathroom, with nothing else except for a tub filled with warm running water and herself. And, of course, the kits. 

She stood up and walked towards the sink, stepping carefully onto a nearby stool usually used in the morning whenever she can’t see the mirror but only the top half of her ears. Judy then lifted the hem of her shirt over her stomach to have a better view of the reflection. The bump was clearly obvious now, practically has been for the last handful of weeks. But even just staring at it for a few minutes seemed to calm her down. 

Plus, Judy loved being able to see their tiny movements against the surface of her skin. It was so cute! Almost like the world's smallest but most adorable soccer game. Three on One. Three of them as one powerful team, and Judy herself with no power against their tiny (but somewhat painful) kicks. 

And speaking of those delightful little kickers, one of them moved right then and there. It was a hard one, causing Judy to lurch forward a bit to adjust to the feeling, but being able to see it overpowered the pain with excitement. The kick came from the top right in her bump, which if she remembered right and if one of the kits hadn’t moved in an entire day, it was one of the girls. The bunny. 

She and Nick still hadn’t found a name for her yet, or any of them really. But even so, Judy could already  _ feel _ that bond with her. With all of them. Even without having chosen their potential names. 

Her ear abruptly swerved in the direction of the bath and she soon realized that it had nearly reached the edge. Judy moved quickly to turn in off just in time with a terrified sigh leaving her throat. Nonetheless, she smiled. The kits, and even the bath, all somehow helped take her mind off the problems that awaited her outside the room. Outside the bubble. And back with Nick. 

Nevermind that. What mattered now, what she really just needed to focus on in order to not break down or fall into yet another one of her rabbit holes of doubt, was to stay calm, and take a nice warm bath to ease her nerves.  _ That _ , that was what matters. 

**~o0o~**

Judy walked outside of the bathroom, allowing the steam to leave with her, all while drying out the last few damp tufts of her fur from the bath. She was feeling much more refreshed and at ease than before at the party. This just goes to show, warm bubble baths truly seem to solve all your problems. That was when she caught sight of Nick on the couch sound asleep. 

_ Almost _ all your problems…

His presence made her tense up but Judy knew there wasn’t anything that could wake that fox up unless it was blueberry pancakes or a buck of ice being dumped onto his head courtesy of Nina. The first option made sense given his obsession with the food but the second one only made sense if you were close with the twins anyhow. 

Besides that, she was in the clear. But it didn’t stop her from watching over him. Not in one of those weird stalker ways you see in horror movies but in the concerned girlfriend one. Judy watched his chest rise up and down with melancholy swirling her facial expressions. Because all she wanted to do was curl up beside him so the two could fall asleep. 

That's when it came to her. She and Nick had never slept apart before since moving into the apartment. Every day, and every night, he was just... _ there _ . Right by her side, yet never leaving. Judy shook her head angrily, chastising her past thoughts of doubt and questioning. How in the world could she question someone who treated her so amazingly? 

She crept slowly and plopped into the armchair adjacent to the couch. The watchful gaze only continued. And becoming every bit more unbearable. Judy wanted to caress his fur, sleep beside him, and have this stupid immature fight put behind them. But all of that, everything that seemed  _ normal _ to them, to her, can’t possibly happen if they don’t talk to each other. But not now.

Yes, she had told herself this earlier back on the balcony but ignoring a feeling like that, one so similar to any other terribly premonition she’s had in the past, could only spell out trouble. And speaking with Nick now when they were both definitely tired and delusional wouldn’t give better results. She’d just have to wait. Again. 

But just for a little while longer. The next morning, Judy would talk to Nick. She'd stop him just before he’d leave and they would sit down...and talk. Talk about, whatever. The fight, her doubts,  _ his _ doubts if he even had any, and how they’d get past this. They had to get past this. Otherwise, she didn’t know. There just couldn’t be an if, or any other kind of doubting word. Because there wasn’t any room for that in their relationship. 

She got up hastily and headed towards the side closet near the front door, grabbing a spare blanket and pillow in the process. Judy then placed them over Nick, knowing very well from taking all-nighters on a living room couch in the past, that sleeping on it only  _ seems _ like a good idea. Because in the morning after, the idea comes back to haunt you. 

He turned slightly, causing her to step back, only to return to his side once he started shaking in his sleep. 

“Hey...It’s ok, I’m here. You’re ok…” She mumbled, albeit knowing that he couldn’t hear her at all. But his body could feel her reassuring presence and eventually settled into a peaceful state yet again. Judy smiled and proceeded to brush the fur on his head, which had become somewhat disheveled. Nick’s breathing returned to normal and she decided it was fine to move back into the armchair again. 

But just as she stood back up her ears picked up the sounds of him moving yet again. She turned around and crouched at the side of him while watching with nervous eyes. Judy hadn’t been sure if it was a bad dream or his subconscious making it impossible for his body to find a comfortable position. Which could never happen, since he  _ was _ sleeping on their $250 couch. Still pretty expensive in her opinion. 

Judy gazed over him long enough to make sure he wasn’t having a nightmare. But when he started to mumble something she frantically moved closer and listened. His voice was quiet, and incoherent given the fact he was talking in his sleep, but she could make out some of the words. 

“I’m sorry…” He murmured. She flinched slightly, feeling reach her heart but also focusing on the fact this was just sleep talking. Although Judy had seen many articles, courtesy of Nina and her particular interest in the paranormal and brain waves, that talking in your sleep could be a verbal reaction of your dream. She only wondered who he would be apologizing to in his dreams…? 

“I’m sorry…Judy…” Nick repeated, causing her to look back at him with wide eyes. She stared, waiting for him to say anything else, but idly fell back into his dreaming state. 

Judy chuckled quietly and got up. She walked back to the armchair and pulled it closer to the cough while adjusting herself atop it. Her paw continued to stroke the fur on his ears as Nick finally fell into a pattern of slow and calm chest rises. She also eventually subdued to a dreamless sleep herself and felt the hours pass by in the endless void.

Judy promptly woke up with the new day, however, only noticing that the mammal beside her had left. But she also noticed the blanket and pillow that had been moved onto her body seemingly overnight, which brought a small smile of relief on her muzzle. That is until she realized who it had to have been to place it there. 

Getting off the armchair with sudden and newfound energy, Judy looked around the apartment for Nick. She was going to talk to him one way or the other today, or they might be playing this tense dance for the rest of their lives. The idea sent a shudder up her spin so she perked up her ears and listened. They swerved left and right, picking up noises from outside and within the apartment. But none were the familiar sound of Nick...Judy lowered her ears, feeling her determination dip somewhat, and then heard the annoying beep of their microwave. 

Causing her to turn instantly in its direction. Her eyes immediately caught sight of the time, and the determination came back once she saw that it was only 7:50. Nick almost always left the complex at around 8:00 so she might have a chance to catch him on the street! 

Judy hastily went and threw on her cardigan so that she wouldn’t look like a complete idiot when leaving the apartment and grabbed the keys before closing the door. She went as fast as she could down the halls, hoping desperately that no one would want to stop and talk with her, and rushed down the last corner before finally stopping in front of the elevator. And she saw him…

Nick looked somewhat disheveled himself, fur not even combed, a messenger bag lazily thrown around his chest, and his eyes containing noticeable bags beneath them. But she could see them widen once locking with her own. Judy saw his hand reach up towards the array of buttons and her heart quickened as she threw her arms between the doors. 

“Don’t press it!” She pleaded. He was taken aback but stopped his paw midway and chuckled nervously. 

“I was reaching for the emergency stop button…” Nick explained. Judy flushed instantly and stammered in response. 

“O-Oh! Um, yeah...you can, um...go ahead and do that…” She blurted. “Or! You could just step out and talk to me instead…?” He waited for a split second but walked out of the elevator to stand in front of her. Judy looked him dead in the eye, realizing this was it. It was now where she  _ had _ to talk with him… 

“So um -” They both suddenly exclaimed, causing the two to laugh simultaneously. Nick waited until she stopped laughing and offered Judy to go first.

“You can -”

“I’m sorry!” She suddenly declared. “I-I’m….sorry and, I wanted t-to say sorry yesterday but -”

“But we never got our times synced. I know…” He added, looking at her with apologetic eyes. “I should be the one saying sorry.”

“What, no! -” Judy tried to protest but he put her arms on her shoulders to stop her. 

“Carrots, what I said was -”

“Completely justified!” She proclaimed, stomping down one of her feet. “Nick I doubted you, all because I listened to my stupid parents...And, I-I shouldn’t have said anything in the first place about it so…”

“If you didn’t say anything wouldn’t we have just been avoiding the topic altogether? And only somewhat delay that fight?” He questioned jokingly. Judy opened her mouth to reply but closed it and averted her eyes to the floor. 

“Yeah...you’re right…” She mumbled. “You and Cooper both…”

“Cooper knows?” Nick exclaimed, slightly surprised but knew he would’ve found out about it sooner or later. 

“Yesterday,” Judy explained. “I told him about it at the party when you were on the balcony. He was actually the one who suggested I suck it up and physically talk with you instead of staying cooped up in my crazy thoughts…” She laughed nervously. “Not that I wasn’t planning on doing it at some point! -”

“I know.” Nick smiled awkwardly. “I wanted to talk to you too, I just…didn’t know where to start. Everything your parents and Simone said, I think it just tapped a nerve in both of our brains.” He laughed and Judy joined in. 

“We’re both a little peeved…” She chuckled. “But, I don’t believe you’ll leave me. I love you, Nick...I really do, it was just the fact that hearing everyone say the same thing on the same day that set me off. Plus I had the worst heartburn…” Judy groaned. 

“Is that getting any better?” Nick asked concerningly, although he hesitated a tiny bit, taking his paws off her shoulders. 

“Eh, you learn to deal. Oh, but I felt number three’s kicks yesterday, pretty hard though.” She grimaced. 

“Well her mother is a bunny,” He proclaimed. 

“And her father’s a fox,” Judy beamed. Nick falteringly placed a paw over her stomach, and it would have been perfect if one of the kits moved right then and there but they must have been asleep. 

“We shouldn’t be fighting over stupid things like this…” He muttered. “ _ I  _ shouldn’t be getting mad at you about it either.”

“It's justifiable Nick. Mammals will talk, whisper, stare, and the only thing we can do about it is either tell them to shut it and go about our day or hope they run into a light pole in the next few minutes.” She grumbled. He laughed, a genuine happy laugh, and Judy grinned fondly at him. 

“And after the kits are born we’ll just have to keep telling them to shut it. But the good news is, they already have so many mammals in their lives who will wholeheartedly accept and support them.” She smiled and he mimicked it. 

“That's right.”

“So...can we move past this?” Judy asked. Nick waited a few seconds, ears turning in thought, but answered promptly. 

“I don’t know if we can  _ completely _ move past it, but I know that it’s important to have communication. I mean, me and Simone didn’t, and look where we turned up.” He laughed, rubbing the crease of his neck nervously. 

“I absolutely agree!” She exclaimed. “We’ve talked in the past, but for the last few months, I don’t think we’ve been talking more about the things that have been bothering us. At least  _ I _ haven’t been talking about it…”

“You know you can’t let your stress levels rise!” Nick pressed. “And it's 100% fine if you want to vent every once in a while. About your idiotic classmates, or some rood mammal on public transport. And anything else that’s been bothering you.” 

Judy bit her lip and stared at him for a few more seconds before bursting completely. 

“Really because that would help….!” She said breathlessly and went on to ramble even more. “I can barely see my feet anymore, I’m always feeling either sick, hungry, or tired, and can you believe the nerve of some mammals? Just yesterday these jerks were gossiping about me well within my earshot! They all could see me there, but didn’t bother to move and just talk about it behind my back. That would have been better, but nooo, they just  _ had  _ to say it right in front of me.” Judy finished infuriatingly. 

Nick smiled warmly and threw an arm around her in a comforting way. 

“Well if it helps, you were right.” He sighed. She lifted her ears in interest as she smirked. 

“Of course I was, but care to elaborate?” 

“Your day was worse.” Nick shrugged. 

“Slick, you ran into  _ Simone _ . How in the world is my day worse than that?!” She scoffed jokingly.

“Well for one, you didn’t have the pleasure of spending your day with me.” He began, causing Judy to playfully roll her eyes. “And that you had to deal with all of that by yourself…” 

“Yeah well you had to deal with all the companies problems, not to mention having to find out about Nina as well…” She argued. 

“Oh, I had to deal with her  _ long _ before the cops caught up to her…” He groaned, shaking his head tiredly. Nick noticed the obvious curiosity in her eyes and smirked. “Do you wanna hear about how my day went yesterday?”

“No, you have work! Plus -” She was stopped by the sudden change of direction as he moved them both back in the direction of their apartment. 

“Work can wait, I think we’d both benefit much more from a day together. There is the importance of communication after all.” He proclaimed, looking straight into her eyes. Judy stared back and smiled gleefully, leaning into his arm.

“Yeah. I’d like that…” 

The two walked back into the apartment together, and thankfully this time, the bubble was back. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry about the long chapter!
> 
> A lot of stuff with COVID and other emotional things going on at my school at the moment...
> 
> BUT, I have good news >:3
> 
> We're about to reach our 20th chapter milestone!!!!
> 
> WooooP! Bring out the celebratory fireworks and set em off!
> 
> WOOOOOOOOOP
> 
> Okay, the party's over. 
> 
> The next chapter, chapter 20, will be the most important one yet. And you can probably guess why. But if you can't then I won't tell you out of fear of ruining the surprise. 
> 
> The only thing I'll say is that the next chapter is going to be Part 1 of the 21st
> 
> So you all can take a gander as to what that means...... >:33333
> 
> Anyway, I have a lot of work ahead of me (School wise and story-wise) So I'll keep this one brief. 
> 
> Till next time you unique creampuffs! 0w0


	20. Chapter 20: The Delivery ~ Part 1

**Chapter 20: The Delivery ~ Part 1**

* * *

If you’ve ever lived with a multitude of siblings then you’ve probably heard of many interesting, funny, maybe even just completely normal birth stories. But if you’re like Judy, and you’ve lived with 275 brothers and sisters who were all born a short time apart, then you’ve probably had an earful of crazy hectic birth stories as opposed to a refreshing normal one. The mother goes into labor, drives to the hospital, gives birth, and if all goes well from there then you have a new sibling. Easy as hog-tying a pig, right? 

Wrong. Giving birth, if any actual mother has told you, isn’t what they make it seem to be on T.V. It’s painful. Unless they allow you to have an epidural, which then, could help ease the pain a little bit. Otherwise, the birth can take a very long time. If not, of course, your body hopefully listens to your needs for once and allows said mother to give birth quickly enough that no further complications arise. 

According to Judy’s parents, her litters’ birth story was unusually calm compared to the birth of her siblings’ litters. Especially given the fact that her litter was made up of eight rabbits as opposed to the average four or five. Her younger siblings, on the other hand, now they were an entirely different story. The most popular birth story, if she can remember correctly, had to have belonged to the litter 5 years younger than her own. 

It started with her mother at her elementary school at the time, surprisingly with her siblings Jasmine and Josh. For an apparent class mom meet up or parent-teacher conference, the details were fuzzy because the few moments after were completely chaotic. And for whatever unfortunate reason, Judy’s father wasn’t present until the very end of the birth story. Besides that, her mom went into labor on the school grounds in the middle of whatever meeting she was in. Further complications arise, and she ends up giving birth to her five healthy younger sisters.

Fun fact, they were actually the first litter in the entire Burrow, no - the entire town, that had been completely made up of girls. So long story short, the entire day was an education for everyone. Leave it to rabbit mothers to spontaneously give birth at an elementary school. The miracle of life, never not inspiring others. Heh…

Anyway, Judy had her ear full of many other crazy, practically unbelievable, birth stories. Living in a small rural town jam-packed with species that, according to their ancestry and their “tradition,” just had to give birth to a multitude of litters. But in her opinion, Judy didn’t see the need for litters that exceeded the number of even two!

She had always imagined her future life somewhere in the city with her potential significant other as the two moved on to follow their dreams and support each other. Then maybe having one litter at least along the way. Even now, the dream hasn’t changed, especially not with the added factor of her and Nick, but the unforeseen consequence of them not exactly being completely careful wasn’t something she had planned per se. 

Nonetheless, Judy has fallen in love with the idea anyhow. Raising their three kits together and both of them fulfilling their highest potential sounds like the perfect alternative from her original plan. Even if it isn't what her parents wanted anyway. Because honestly, Judy has learned to stop caring about what others think, and focus more on her kits needs. Seriously, it's like these little buggers are asking for something every five minutes.

But you learn to adapt, and to gush over every little milestone you can. And after all, she is in the home stretch of things. The third trimester already and who knows what’s going to happen from here on out?

They surely don’t. 

**~o0o~**

“Ok, you are being 100% sexist,” Judy grumbled once stepping out of the car with Nick’s help. 

“How?!” He pressed

“Well, for one, you won’t let me drive the car because I’m a girl!” She asserted irritatingly. Nick lifted one eyebrow in joking disbelief before replying with his own argument. 

“First of all,” He began. “I’m not allowing you to drive the car because you're near full term in your pregnancy, already being 34 weeks and in your third trimester. And second of all, I think we both know that I won’t let you drive because I’m the better driver.” 

Judy turned to give him an eye-piercing glare as she growled through her reply. “Say that again or so help me I will break your kneecaps with my purse…”

Nick pursed his lips and nodded slowly, hoping not to add even more fuel to the threatening fire cruising through her eyes. 

“Mhm, that’s what I thought.” Judy chuckled menacingly while offering her arm to intertwine with his. 

“Sometimes you terrify me as much as my sister could.” He sighed, looping his arm with hers. 

“Nah, she’s more on the higher scale of crazy than I am. But the good crazy!!” Judy exclaimed. Nick gave a nonchalant shrug and smile but continued to walk beside her as they headed closer to the hospital's entrance. But she stopped in her tracks and looked back confused. 

“Something wrong?” He questioned, turning in her direction. 

“Y-Yeah…um, I think I forgot my phone...Maybe we should go back and -” Judy stated, turning to Nick only to see him lifting her own paw to her face. With the lost item clutched within it. 

“Oh!” She laughed awkwardly. “Guess I’m having a touch of mommy’s brain…Blegh!” Judy joked sticking out her tongue. 

“Well, it’s normal for mothers in their -”

“34th week of pregnancy, Nick I know! You don’t have to keep reminding me.” She giggled. 

“Well somebody should!” He argued. “Your head’s been all over the place since these last few weeks, and I just don’t want you to end up spiraling out of control.” The two finally entered the first floor of the hospital as Judy answered with a disbelieving roll of the eyes. 

“I’m 17 years old. How out of control can I ge - GAH!” Just then her body was jerked backward as a pair of frantic surgeons rushed past them with an unoccupied gurney in paw. 

“Coming through!” And just as they rounded a corner another pair of mammals behind them rushed by as well. 

“Stay away from our patient, Jackson!” One of them shouted while a faint “Never!” echoed from the opposite direction. She took in the scene while gasping for breath and looked behind her as Nick appeared to have the color drained completely from his face. 

“Sorry…” Judy mumbled apologetically. 

“I-Its fine, just make sure to not get run over again…” He exhaled, rubbing a paw through his fur. 

“I’ll try, hopefully as long as my brain doesn't go scrambled again.” She joked. “I’m still at 35 weeks.”

“34,” Nick corrected. 

“…Right…we should probably go see Dr. Firefox now.” Judy proclaimed as she walked towards the elevator with him in tow. 

“Are you sure you remember what floor the maternity ward is on?” He smirked, walking ahead of her. She scowled and angrily pushed the call button. 

“Of course I do! Its…its… -” Her train of thought wandered slightly as Nick gave an expecting stare and resisted snickering.

“Oh shut up! It's the 4th floor, jeez.” Judy exclaimed with a huff. 

“If you say so…” He shrugged. The two entered the elevator and waited a few peaceful seconds as it drew closer to its determined floor and she smiled confidently while watching the doors open. 

“See! I was right. Maternity on the fourth floor!” 

“Miss you’re on the sixth floor, and this is the Oncology wing. You’ll want to head for the eighth floor for Maternity.” A passing nurse exclaimed, before immediately having her attention drawn to one of the interns on duty. 

“Penny have you seen - Oh! Are you two Mr. and Mrs. Wilde?” The wide-eyed intern asked. Judy could feel her own eyes widen as well, no mammal had ever assumed she and Nick were married. But hearing it out loud, well, it had a nice ring to it. Judith Laverne Wilde. She giggled helplessly and smiled. 

“We’re not married, but if you're referring to us as one of Virginia’s patients then I suppose you’ve found the right mammals.” Judy laughed. 

“Cheese and sprinkles, I’m so sorry!” The intern atoned hastily. “I saw Nick and Judy Wilde on Dr. Firefox’s patient records and I just assumed -”

“No, it's alright! What’s your name, I don’t think I’ve seen you with Virginia before?” She bantered, switching the topic of conversation.

“I’m April!” The girl answered happily. “I just started my surgical residency and it’s my first time on Dr. Firefox’s service so that’s why you're only seeing me now.”

“Aw good for you!” Judy beamed. “I think we both ran into some interns on the first floor. But they seemed so preoccupied with chasing some kind of surgery?” April giggled and averted her eyes. 

“That sounds like Jackson…”

“Do you know him?” She questioned, taking note of the fond glimmer in her eyes. 

“Ah no! I mean...um, yes. H-He’s in my intern class as well…” April mumbled, blushing at her cheeks. “Anyway! Dr. Firefox is probably expecting you two. I can show you the way.” 

“Oh, we’d love that. Any longer with her directing us around and we’d probably end up on the roof.” Nick grinned, earning a hard punch in the shoulder from Judy. 

“I would not!” She scowled. But he merely threw an arm around her and led the two in the direction April was walking in. She chuckled at the amusing couple and continued on her merry way. 

Eventually, the three arrived at the room with a sense of familiarity easing Judy’s nerves. 

“Thank goodness! I thought we’d never -” Nick was about to go on another dramatic monologue but she promptly stopped him with a wack to the head. 

“All right, all right I get it. Now, will you please give it up!?” Judy growled, squinting her eyes. 

“Anything for you.” He smirked, placing a small kiss on her forehead. She lowered her ears, embarrassed. Even though it was completely normal of him to make such public displays of affection, Judy still liked the way it made her heart race. 

“For an unmarried couple you two sure act like the happily-ever-after type in fairy tales,” April commented innocently, stealing their attention for a moment. She shared a timid glance with Nick, feeling that he was thinking the same thing. 

A happily-ever-after type of couple...Us? Mmm….not entirely.

Their fight had happened only a few months ago but everything that had happened and that had been said completely redirected her view on things. Especially in their relationship. Thankfully, it was in a good way. A sudden and much-needed kind of way. 

Just then, Virginia decided to make her debut into the room. And with an expression that didn’t perceive cheerfulness. 

“Good morning Dr. Firefox! I found the Mr. and - erm, I mean, Judy and Nick for you,” April proclaimed. 

“Thank you, Kepner. You can go ahead and finish checking up on my other patients. You remember what to do if things become complicated?” Virginia quizzed. 

“Page you and make sure they stay stable!” She answered confidently. Dr. Firefox nodded in reassurance as April left the room with a content smile plastered across her muzzle. 

After the door closed with a satisfying “click” Judy moved to sit on top of the bed, prepared to go through another ultrasound check-up but she stopped her. 

“Before we start, I’d actually like it if I could talk to you about something,” Virginia pleaded, in a stressful voice. She exchanged yet another glance with Nick and nodded. 

But the tone in her voice wasn’t helping Judy’s goal of “staying calm” at all at the moment… 

**~o0o~**

“What?!” The couple exclaimed once Dr. Firefox finally finished speaking. 

“This sort of thing happens occasionally in some of the pregnancies I oversee so it isn’t anything to raise any concern with. Especially with you Judy, any more added stress might worsen the situation.” She urged. 

“W-Wha...b-but...You basically told us I could go into labor in the next week or two! H-How in the world can I not get stressed?” Judy questioned, agitated. 

“We don’t know that for sure yet -” Virginia began again. 

“But didn’t you say that one of the kits had already turned?” Nick asked, getting himself thrown into the chaos as well. 

“Precisely, only one of the kits. And if we want any chance of Judy reaching term then I’ll have to strictly assign her on bed rest,” She declared. Judy let out a small grumble in protest for she knew exactly what bed rest would limit her to. 

She had been on it before when the idea of her Jasmine making a parachute from the leftover quilt scraps in the barn could ensure they could float safely from the roof of the house. Spoiler alert, the only thing it ended with was a dislocated left arm and a handful of fractures in her right foot. And they were only six years old.

But maybe this bed rest could actually calm her down in some way. After all, if Judy wasn’t up and at them outside their apartment then there could be more of a chance she wouldn’t endanger herself or the kits. Still, Judy isn’t anything if not energetic.

“At least this can let us have enough free time to finish setting up the nursery,” Nick said, with a nervous laugh escaping his lips. It was clear that the news was shocking to him as well. But Judy didn’t want him to put the entirety of his attention on this just because of a slight obstacle in their plans. 

“You mean it can let me get some free time. Nick, you have to focus on the company!” She adjured. 

“What? That’s crazy, what if I just left for the day and you went into labor and I couldn’t make it in time. The foundation is on the other side of the district!” He argued. Judy stared at him with a solemn look, actually contemplating the thought of that happening, but quickly shook it off. 

“Don’t worry about me! We both know that your guys are about to snag that big client. And an agreement that size could double your growth! You can finally build a second location, give out Clawsmas bonuses, promotions. Nick, you could bring back pizza Fridays…”

He stared at her with a stunned yet shocked expression surprised she could know so much. 

“What? Your dad talks about it a lot when I visit and it's interesting,” Judy shrugged nonchalantly. Aside from all the antics, Virginia tore off a piece of paper from her notepad and scribbled something quickly on it in order to hand it off to Nick. 

“If anything happens until the next time I see you both then call this number, it belongs to my personal cell so you’ll reach me right away,” She added, before handing another piece of paper to Judy. “And if any of these symptoms happen when you're at home, contact me immediately.”

She scoured over the list, large amounts of blood, intense pain in the abdomen, five or more contractions in the hour, and even a more-than-normal gush of watery fluid. Judy let out a distressed sigh and rubbed her temple. This was all a bit much. 

“Also, I forgot to mention, if your stress levels rise above the normal amount then it will increase the chance of you going into preterm labor. So make sure not to worry too much or do any stress full activity.” Virginia acclaimed before beginning to collect her things and leave the room. 

“I’ll see you both in two weeks!” 

Judy and Nick settled into a tense silence, then both simultaneously sighing out of exhaustion. 

“I-I…this is just…w-what do we even…Sweet cheese and crackers…” She stuttered. He threw an arm around her and rubbed her back comfortingly. 

“I know, I know. But…maybe this could be a good thing? What with all the extra time you can score, and get the much-needed rest instead of studying through the evening and having me force you to fall asleep,” Nick joked, getting a small giggle out of Judy. 

“You can’t blame me for that. The GED is in a few months, and then from there -” 

“From there you only have half a year until being fully able to interview with the supervisors at the academy, I can recall Carrots,” Nick countered.

“They might not allow me in y’know. Cause I’m a rabbit. Small and scrawny, weak and meek…” She noted. 

“They’ll love you, I’m sure of it.” He said reassuringly.

“Hmm, maybe. Or they could just laugh at like everybody else and -” Judy was about to go on another long doubting monologue, likely due to her rising hormones and stress levels affecting her emotions, but Nick effortlessly stopped her with a lovingly placed kiss on her lips. 

“You,” He began, “are going to blow them all away with your freakishly surprising strength, your inspiring courage, and your amazing personality. Now, let’s get out of this hospital before we both get any more freaked out. 

She stared at him for a few seconds, before letting a fond smile creep its way onto her muzzle and nodded. 

“Yeah, this place smells like sanitizer and death anyway. Oh, that sounds bad, is that bad to say? God, I’m a terrible mammal, and this is the example I’m setting for our kids!” 

“Ok, let’s get you out of here,” Nick laughed, helping her off the table. 

The two exited from the hospital, just like they always do, and headed for the car. Yet it was funny how she and him walked through the entrance earlier that morning and expected things to go by exactly as they always have. Ultrasound, and extra check-up, and then they were out of there quick enough to drop her off at the university. Of course, that remained up until recently.

When Judy began her third trimester, she and Nick both thought it would be better if she simply continued her studies from home. Receiving any helpful extra notes from Fru Fru as well. And when speaking the truth, Judy had already spent a fair amount of time at the apartment. So hopefully, this bed-rest will be a breeze for her. 

Hopefully…

**~o0o~**

“Are you sure you’ll be alright?” Nick questioned for the tenth time as he was grabbing his bag. 

“Yes, I don’t know how many times I have to tell you!” Judy answered, laughing from the kitchen as she was currently brewing up a heart-healthy beetroot, pomegranate, and orange smoothie. Since apparently, her friends at the community center and birth class had all advised that as the best smoothie choice for drinking when pregnant.

“Do you want any help with that? You have been standing for long,” He exclaimed, suddenly popping up beside her. 

“Nick, I’ve been standing for under ten minutes trying to make a smoothie that won’t send my body into some unwanted preterm labor. My feet don’t hurt, I’m not dizzy, and do you see any of my water breaking?” Judy questioned sarcastically while pointing the plastic knife she was using to cut up the ingredients at him. 

He cautiously took a step back and smiled nervously. 

“I’ll be gone for at least 30 minutes.” She nodded in approval before happily returning to mixing the smoothie. Judy smelled the fruity aroma fill the air and stayed within the peaceful bubble she managed to build in the duration of her bed rest. But it quickly popped the second she could still hear Nick inside the apartment. 

“I can still hear you!” Judy yelled, becoming even more irritated. 

“I have a bad feeling about this!” He proclaimed in response. With a roll of her eyes, she stopped the mixer and walked to the doorway, where Nick had a distraught look on his face. The type only a worried boyfriend could bear. 

“Look, feel the kits,” Judy declared, grabbing one of his free paws and moving it towards her stomach. 

“They’re kicking, I’m counting them, and nothing has gone wrong in these last few days. Sure, for whatever reason one of them already dropped because they’re impatient, like their mom. But they’re also not leaving this body until I say so. Go, go to the foundation and fix whatever’s going on before they explode the place!” She urged. 

Nick hesitated once more, giving her an uncertain moan, before reluctantly grabbing his keys and turning to walk out the door. 

“I’ll see you in 30 minutes,” He repeated as if feeling the need to say the words again to make sure they remained in her head. 

“30 minutes, got it. Don’t worry, I love you,” Judy said fondly

“I love you,” Nick smiled, kissing her softly on the cheek. She stayed in place, watching him walk out and close the door, and leaving her alone in the apartment. Well, not completely alone, Judy still had that “amazing, life-saving” smoothie just waiting for her. 

She headed back to the kitchen and promptly returned to fixing up the drink. The excessive sound of mechanical gears was echoing through her ears when she suddenly had a weird feeling slither into her mind. Well, not exactly weird. Maybe just uneasy. As if things could go wrong today. 

Pfft, there’s no way that could happen. Judy was safely in her apartment and mixing a hopefully delicious smoothie without any chance of danger. What’s the worst that could happen? Her toilet gets clogged?

Judy chuckled quietly to herself as she finished up the smoothie and settled into a peaceful silence. She took a swing at it but quickly retracted the drink. 

“Blegh, this does not taste like the recipe said it would on Pawtrist,” Judy grimaced to herself. She covered the drink with a napkin and decided its ultimate fate would be decided later. Unfortunately, the future only spelled grim news. 

Suddenly, her phone started ringing from the countertop beside her. Which also thankfully took her mind off the smoothie. She was focusing way too much on a smoothie and not anything else…

Is this what madness feels like?

Anyway, Judy turned her phone around and read the caller ID. Then happily accepting the call when noticing it was her sister Jasmine. They had already had their usual convo on Sunday three days ago so she wasn’t entirely sure what this one was about. 

“Hey Jasi, what’s up?” Judy mused into the phone. 

“Hi, Judy! I know you're probably available right now because of the bed rest and everything -” Jasmine began, speaking very hastily. 

“Wow thanks for reminding me.” She interrupted sarcastically. 

“Oh be quiet you know I don’t mean that. Also…um…not that I want to stress you out any more…but there is a reason why I called. And it’s kind of important, but it's also something I don't think I should tell you yet you're kind of the only mammal that can help me with this so I don’t really have a choice…”

Judy stayed silent for a few seconds before answering, taking in every word, but returned to the conversation with urgency lining her voice. 

“Jasmine, what’s going on are you alright?”

“Yes! Yes, I’m completely fine. Don’t worry, please. I wouldn’t want you to become too stressed and go into labor. Wait is Nick even with you right now?” She replied, trying to down-play the very obvious stressful favor. 

“He just stepped out and will be back in 30 minutes. But that's beside the point! You already have me worried, so just get in it over with! I’m sure it isn’t as bad as you say it is.” 

There was a long hesitant silence on the other line, but Jasmine eventually, but reluctantly, answered. 

“I have to bring them by face-to-face for you to believe me…”

“Them? Whose with you?” Judy questioned. 

**~ 5 minutes later ~**

“How…just…how…?” 

Jasmine dropped by her apartment a short time later. And Judy expected to see her with another mammal, as that’s what her phone call just minutes before suggested, she just didn’t expect to see these mammals. At least, not until after the kits were born. 

“Yeah, honestly, I’m not even sure myself.” Jasmine sighed as she led a tipsy Jackie and Jeanette to her couch. Jackie ended up cuddling with a nearby pillow gifted to Judy from Nick’s mother while Jeanette sprawled herself over the armrest in a theatrical way. 

“Do our parents know about this? How did they even make it here in the first place? How did you make it here in the first place?! And how -” She was spiraling, exactly what she shouldn’t be doing on her bed rest. 

“Judy calm down. I don’t want you freaking out over this any more than you already are,” Jasmine pleaded. 

“Well, it’s kind of late for that…” She sighed. 

“Gah I knew I shouldn’t have brought them here!” Jasmine groaned, before Judy quickly retaliated. 

“No, no this is fine. If you didn’t come to me then you’d have to take them back home. God! What were they even doing here in the first place?” 

“They left after school yesterday, saying something meeting with some of their old graduate friends and that they’d be back in the morning. But when they didn’t come back I got worried, so I called Jackie and some bartender picked up the phone. I didn’t even have any time to make them stay because when I got home dad’s truck was gone and well, you know the rest…” She explained. 

“Did you get the chance to tell mom and dad at least?” Judy questioned, sitting down on a nearby seat since all this standing up and fussing over her sisters was becoming tiresome. 

“Not yet, but I think I’ll probably have too in -” Jasmine moved up her sweater sleeve to check her watch and pulled it down with a moan. “In an hour or so if Jackson and the others with they can’t keep stalling them.” 

She slumped in her chair, watching as Jeanette and Jackie drunkenly snored on her previously cleaned couch. Yet all she could think about was how they could get them back home fast enough, and sober enough, in order for her to return to her stress-free bed rest. And how exactly she’d explain all this to Nick and have him not freak out too. 

Because if he’s freaking out the Judy will start freaking out, followed by Jasmine as well. Then causing this calm bubble of serenity that she had spent the last few days working on will be popped in an instant. And this isn’t exactly something that would be helping her potential baby-shooting-out-of-her-vagina fate at the moment. 

So in short, this day’s going by just peachy…

“Mmm, I never should've had drank all those carrot margaritas…” Jeanette slurred, somewhat lucidly. 

“Stupid leprechauns…” Jackie added, mumbling tiredly into the pillow she was still holding onto for dear life. Judy glanced at Jasmine in confusion but she merely gave an uncertain shrug. 

“I think the bar they went to had some sort of Irish theme or something. A lot of mammals dressed up as if it was St. Patricks Day and everything, I don’t know.”

“Well that would explain their outfits,” Judy noted. They were both wearing what appeared to be party outfits, making her understand why they left BunnyBurrow without even checking in with Jasmine out of fear of their parents seeing. Because there was no chance they wouldn’t suspect something. 

Jackie was tamer compared to Jeanette. Wearing a sensible white cardigan with pretty green clovers splotched all around it. And topped off with a black tee that read **Lucky Girl** in green bold letters. Now Jeanette on the other hand...Well, it's safe to say that if she went to school in her outfit, she’d get sent to the office immediately on account of the skirt being too short. And Judy didn’t even want to begin looming over her accessory choices. 

She shook her head dejectedly, having the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach grow more. But thankfully, she didn’t have to deal with them alone. 

“We could head over to a Snarlbucks and get them both some coffee and have them back in an hour?” Judy suggested, thinking about the times she’s witnessed stuff like this in her favorite movies and T.V shows. 

“That might work, but I wouldn’t wanna trouble you with it…” She faltered. 

“Please, I’m already troubled enough at the thought of these two getting into any more trouble. Besides I wanted to go grab something to eat anyway,” Judy compromised, already getting off the seat to go prop up Jeanette since she appeared to be more stable than Jackie. Jasmine quickly intervene, picking her up instead out of fear of overexerting Judy herself. 

“But what your bed rest? What about Nick? Are you sure because -”

“I’ll be fine. We’ll take the truck, I’ll pay for the drinks, and then we can sober them up. Easy as pie, no problem. I’ll call Nick and let him know I’m safe with you and that nothing else is wrong.” She interrupted, before looking over at the drunken rabbits she felt somewhat embarrassed to be related to at the moment. 

“Mmm, Fine! But we better be back here right after we sober them up! I’ll take them home from there and you can return to getting some much-needed peace and quiet. Ok?” Jasmine asserted. 

“Please, it’s a quick coffee run. What could go wrong?”

**~o0o~**

“You said this would be quick!” Jasmine complained from the driver's seat, as she drove them all in the direction of the northern side of the district. 

“I did…but I can’t exactly predict the future,” Judy answered nonchalantly, sipping cheerfully on her hot chocolate. 

“That’s not what I meant,” She sneered, getting a laugh out of Judy and Jeanette. 

“Quit being such a worrywart sis! Live a little,” Their sister giggled, a little less drunk than before. 

“You stay out of this. Your lucky Jackson managed to convince dad the truck got stolen. Otherwise, you’d be in a lot of trouble earlier than I thought you’d be!” Jasmine yelled, before angrily returning her eyes to the road. Jeanette slumped in her seat and continued drinking her coffee like a disobedient child who didn’t get their way. 

Jackie on the other hand was thankfully proving to be a lot less difficult. She was already thinking straight and not slurring her words so it paved the way for hopeful consistency in the rest of their plan. 

“Zootopia’s so pretty in the daytime…” She murmured in awe while looking out the window. 

“Well this is only one part of it, the rest of it is even more amazing.” Judy chuckled, enjoying the familiarity of her sister's antics. 

“Do you like it here? With Nick and everything…?” She suddenly asked out of the blue. Judy hesitated, surprised at such a deep question, but nodded her head with a fond smile. 

“I love it more than anything, and Nick has been nothing short of extraordinary so I’m glad to be here with him.” 

“That’s nice…”

The four settled into a seemingly peaceful silence, which Judy welcomed with open arms. Only wanting to be alone with that type of silence all day, just here and Nick, in their stress-free bubble. 

“Where are we even going again? I don’t think we’ll have enough time to get the truck back until Dad goes to the town police?” Jasmine asked, breaking the silence with unsatisfying pop to her bubble. 

“Knowing him I’d bet he’s already finished chastising the boys and rallied them to get the shotguns. Probably droning on about heroically catching the “thief” themselves.” Judy countered. The four of them laughed before she finished answering the rest of Jasmine’s question. 

“We’re just heading to a nursing home. Nina just finished her community service for the day and needed someone to pick her up, but she’ll probably want to take her anger out with the wheel and honk at everybody so I’d suggest you move when we get there.”

“Alright…” Jasmine mumbled as she continued driving. Just reluctantly going along with the drastic alterations in her plan since she seemed done with just about everything and anyone else today. 

They drove for a few more minutes, and every single one of those Judy had Nick texting her back for updates. She smiled dumbly and texted back some reassurance before lifting her head and seeing Nina irritatingly propped up against a tree in front of the nursing home. 

Judy lowered down the car window and waved her in. 

“Hey there Zootopia's Most Wanted! How was community service?” She smirked, using the nickname that everyone in the family dubbed her since the “accident” at Nicks's birthday party. But to clarify, not the accident where Judy and Nick fought, but the one where she stole a stop sign and threw it off a bridge. 

“Went by great, thanks for asking.” Nina hissed with a roll of her eyes as she climbed into the driver's seat and Jasmine tried desperately to fit herself in the small spot between Jeanette and Jackie. 

“You guys alright back there? Because I’m glad to switch seats if it's too cramped?” Judy offered. 

“No it’s fine, plus it’ll give me a better eye on these two,” Jasmine replied, eyeing Jeanette suspiciously. It was then when Nina noticed the two troublemakers in the back seat as well. 

“Woah, those two smell like alcohol and bad decisions. And I should know, I’m an expert.”

“Yeah, sorry. I kind of got dragged into a dilemma because my sisters were out partying and stole my dad's truck,” Judy proclaimed apologetically. 

“Stealing an automobile…Impressive, but they probably should have gotten rid of the license plate before leaving,” Nina suggested, weirdly well-versed in the topic of stealing cars. 

“I’m going to ignore the fact that you know that because the last thing I need this week is even more shenanigans,” She sighed, finishing the last few sips of her hot chocolate. 

“Hah! I bet Nick’s dying slowly inside for every second he doesn't know where you are,” Jasmine chortled from the backseat, before having to angrily shove Jeanette onto her side of the car. “Quit moving on my side!”

“Stop harassing me!” She moaned in response. “I have my rights!”

“Both of you shut it!” Nina asserted, then turning her eyes back to the road to honk at an innocent passerby. Judy flinched at her outburst and became slightly uneasy at the thought of her at the wheel. Nonetheless, she risked asking her about her day. 

“How was community service?” 

“Terrible! I got stuck with this blind goat who wouldn’t stop trying to eat the sequins from my jacket…” Nina groaned. “And this stupid mammal won’t pick up the pace! IT’S A GREEN LIGHT, I WON’T HESITATE RUNNING YOU OVER!” She yelled out the window. Ironically causing them to actually pick up the pace out of fear. 

Judy watched, pursing her lips, and hesitated to reply. 

“Does this mean you might regret stealing that stop sign?” She asked. 

“What of course not? I pulled that stop sign out of the ground with my brute strength so I mammals could have more freedom on the streets! How was I supposed to know it would give me a theft charge on my record?!” 

“You should listen to your heart and steal ALL the stops signs you want!” Jeanette yelled, obviously not feeling the effects of the coffee work on her. 

“Ignore her, she’s drunk.” Jasmine sighed. 

“I’m not drunk! I’m tipsy…” She giggled, interrupting. 

“I wish I was drunk enough to forget my community service…” Nina proclaimed, leaning her head on the wheel in agony. Despite that, her foot was still on the pedal so the truck continued moving. 

“Careful!” Judy screamed, noticing the car suddenly start moving onto the sidewalk. Thankfully it was empty. Nina sat back up immediately and turned it, but the entire ordeal made everyone's heart race. 

“That…was a close one…” She exclaimed, clutching her chest fearfully. 

“I better keep my eyes up until we get back home. Nick would kill me if I let anything happen to you…” Nina stated regretfully. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to haunt his tail if even thinks about it,” Judy jokes. 

“Don’t even think about becoming a ghost, I wouldn’t forgive myself for it!” Jasmine and Nina said somewhat at the same time.

“Guys, seriously, I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about me!”

“Is everything alright?” Jackie intervened. 

“Judy might go into labor if she gets too stressed out,” Nina answered. 

“What!?” She exclaimed. 

“It won’t just happen if I get stressed. There are lots of other reasons too. And being overly stressed is already daily thin in all of our lives so if we can please calm down, and just -”

“CAR!” Jasmine screamed, pointing to the upcoming turn on their right, where another car was about to swerve right at them. Nina gripped the wheel and turned as hard as she could as everyone else yelled in fear. The truck rushed to the left, only hitting a poorly placed lamp pole in the process. 

Judy didn’t know what happened next. All she could feel in the moment, however, was her body jerking forward against the seatbelt and the sound of metal crashing on metal. An airbag burst forwards, cushioning her face but preventing her eyes from seeing anything else. 

The only thing that remained was the ringing in her ears and the unsettling dome of fear that settled around them… 

**To be Continued in Part 2…**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, chapter 20!
> 
> A huge milestone you guys!!!! :333
> 
> I do want to take the time to thank everyone but I have my lessons soon, and I just finished this after school XD
> 
> I'm sorry for the long wait but the chapter is here, and you may all suffer now >:3
> 
> Enjoy the excruciating pain of waiting for the next chapter as you all rack your brains and think about what may happen next.
> 
> But if it isn't clear yet, or you didn't read the obvious foreshadowing I slipt into the chapter, OR EVEN IN ITS NAME, then I'll tell you upfront.
> 
> The babies are coming
> 
> Congrats to Judy and Nick, Woop Woop.
> 
> Ok, before I leave and get through 1 hour of excruciating pain on the ice rink and hopefully start that next chapter, I do have one question because I've been having some trouble.
> 
> I wanted to ask if anyone had any name suggestions for the kits, I have the looks all planned out, and I was planning for one of the girls to be named Octavia (The fox one) but I'm stuck on the other two.
> 
> So if anyone had any suggestions or ideas please let me know! And if it helps I was also planning on having the two foxes be born twins like Nick and Nina, so it might help given I've already figured out the first twin's name. 
> 
> See you all next chapter! :3


	21. Chapter 21: The Delivery ~ Part 2

**Chapter 21: The Delivery ~ Part 2**

* * *

Judy had witnessed car crashes before. Nothing too serious, maybe an accidental traffic jam or fender bender here and there. But the actual scary ones, where the car would flip as if defying all the laws of gravity itself. Those...those are scary. Still, what she had just gone through, wasn’t  _ as _ serious. 

If you can really compare a group of girls, one of whom is pregnant, crashing into a light pole in order to avoid a speeding car from their right on par with a fatalistic accident that could end up with someone dead. Besides that, even if the truck hadn’t flipped, or crashed into something that could have pierced through the glass, her insistent shaking wouldn’t stop. 

Judy opened her eyes slowly and forced her paws upward in order to push down the life-saving airbag that just, well, saved her life. She looked up, still hearing a slight ringing in her ears, and noticed the hundreds of dents that have now covered the entire front part of her father’s truck. 

He was going to kill them...Only if Nick didn’t kill Nina first… 

A sudden groan came from her left and she turned her head around to see Nina completely immersed in an airbag of her own. Thank goodness…

“Nina! Are you ok?” Judy questioned, moving to shake her shoulder to check if she was at most conscious. 

“Hgh…I think I’m going to throw up,” She grimaced fearfully. Judy let out a sigh of relief, happy to see she wasn’t dead or injured. The even thought of that made her stress levels rise. But she quickly directed her attention to the backseat, remembering her siblings. 

Jackie was clutching Jasmine's arm hard enough it looked about to fall off. And Jeanette had appeared to somehow jump into her lap despite being held back by her seat belt. They had an identical look of terror on their faces, each of them having their nose twitching. Judy moved one of her paws up and felt her own nose mimic the action. 

She reached out to them in hopes of breaking them out of the panicky trance they seemed to be stuck in. Jasmine flinched back to reality and once locking eyes with Judy burst into tears. 

“Oh my god! That was terrifying! Are you ok, are the kits ok, do you feel pain anywhere?”

The list of questions continued and it didn’t seem like she could steady herself until Judy answered each and every one of them. 

“Jasmine!” She blurted, grabbing her sister's attention. “I’m fine, I swear. My seatbelt prevented me from moving and the airbag also helped…” 

“What about Nina?” Jasmine pressed, leaning forward to see her. Judy turned around as well, only to see that Nina had exited the truck and was currently fear-barfing into a nearby trash can on the street. 

“Umm, she’s fine. Besides  _ that _ , she’s ok.” Judy grimaced, lowering her ears. She returned her attention back to the others where Jackie still clenched her eyes shut tightly, as if afraid if she were to open them then something terrible would happen. Jeanette looked around the car frantically, but eventually, let out a heavy sigh and went to comfort Jackie. It seemed as if the crash was terrifying enough to scare her back to sobriety. 

Helpful, but not exactly in the way Judy would have wanted it to be. The sounds of Nina practically emptying her stomach could still be heard from the open window and Judy thought it might help if she too had someone to comfort her. 

“I’m going to go check on her,” She declared, getting a small nod of approval from Jasmine as she promptly returned to making sure Jackie was alright. Judy pushed down the airbag while also simultaneously trying to open the car door and eventually made it outside. However, once she stepped down and allowed herself to look around, her vision went blurry and an unbearable headache pierced through her skull. Almost as if leaving the car allowed a dormant pain to release throughout her. 

“Ugh…” She tried to steady herself but everything that had just happened left her own mind scrambled and unable to think clearly enough. Thankfully, a passing mammal on the street who had witnessed the entire event was there to check up on her. 

“Miss are you alright?” They questioned, looking her up and down when only then noticing the obvious. “Oh god, you’re pregnant! Um, I don’t - ok, should I get help? I should probably get help…Hey can we get some help over here?! This girl’s pregnant!”

More random strangers on the street rushed over in a panic, some genuinely interested, while others only probably there to see the lengths of the damage. 

“Ugh…” Judy groaned and threw her head down in agony. Was this normal? Having a mind-splitting headache right after a fender bender with a light pole. And she wasn’t even the one driving. But it certainly didn’t help that all these mammals she had no connection with were just surrounding her with questions instead of doing absolutely nothing. 

She could hear the sounds of another mammal grunting through the crowd, or perhaps it was of others being forced out the way. But the shrill voice she heard next made her immediately lift her head, despite the pain. 

“Judy!” It was Fru Fru, frantically looking at the scene all the while being perched atop Koslovs paw. His entire presence was intimidating enough to clear a non-existent bubble around her and the truck. 

“What in the world happened?! I was doing my errands when I saw this truck crash into a pole, then I saw Nina walk out of it and immediately rushed over! Are you alright?” 

“I-I don’t know. I felt fine one second and then - GAH” Judy instantly wrapped an arm around her stomach once feeling it tighten. 

“Judy are you ok?!” Fru shrieked, ordering Koslov to let her perch beside her on the car’s side window.

“I don’t know!…I t-think that something's happening?!” She feared. 

“Oh my goodness the kits are coming aren’t they?” Fru gasped. 

“The babies are coming?!” Nina and Jasmine suddenly appeared from both sides of the crashed truck, Jeanette and Jackie in tow. 

“N-No I don’t think so…they might Braxton Hicks…” Judy struggled, holding onto Nina while still clutching her stomach. 

“Are you sure? Because it  _ could  _ be contractions,” She argued. 

“Huh…I didn’t  _ notice _ .” Judy sneered. 

“Can everyone please calm down?! Something is obviously happening to Judy so I suggest we take her to her doctor. Her name is Vanya something, right?” Fru asked hastily. 

“I-Its...mmm…” She tried to answer but this dang feeling in her abdomen was seriously getting on her nerves. Everything Judy knew about contractions was that it was a tightening pain on her chest that would follow a consistent pattern. And if she felt the sensation of water trickling down her pants, then it probably means her water broke. But her water  _ hasn't _ broken. So surely that stands for something?

Besides, if they really were Braxton Hicks, which she desperately hoped they were, then Judy would be able to talk through them. Which she could! Hopefully, things carry out smoother from here. 

“It’s Virginia Firefox,” Nina interrupted, replying for her. “They have her on speed dial, I’ll go grab your phone. She promptly returned to the car wreck and returned with Judy’s phone in paw. 

She tried opening up her contacts and scrolled through but her Braxton Hicks, or whatever they are, were hindering her from doing that. Jeanette thankfully grabbed her phone from her paw, already knowing the passcode, and dialed for Dr. Firefox. The next few seconds were filled with tense silence if you don’t count for Judy’s whines of pain. Finally, Virginia's voice arose from the other end of the phone. 

“Hello? Judy, is everything alright?” She questioned.

“Uh, no, not exactly…” Jasmine answered, forgetting for a second that she was calling from Judy’s phone so obviously Dr. Friefox assumed she was talking to her and not Jasmine. 

“Who is this?” 

“Oh, sorry! I’m Judy’s sister. There was an…accident, and well…We think that she might be having Braxton Hicks contractions or something. But her friend, uh...Nina I think, she thinks she’s going into labor.” Jeanette promptly explained, elaborating on the situation. 

“Accident! What happened?!” Virginia exclaimed. 

“Haha, well… _ that _ is sorta a long story. You see my sister Jasmine called her this morning when she was still on bed rest, and the funny thing is -” She was about to recount every single detail from that morning but was instantly, and thankfully, stopped by Judy’s irritated outburst. 

“Can you  _ please _ just ask her about the pain?!” Judy seethed. Jeanette squeaked in surprise but laughed awkwardly and nodded. 

“Right, sorry. So, uh - how do I explain this? We got into a slight car crash. Nothing big! We’re all good, except for the fox girl, Nina. She kinda threw up out of shock on the pavement. And well, I can’t even get started on me and the day I’ve been having.”

“Get to the point!” The girls shouted, snapping Jeanette out of her never-ending monologue. 

“Ah, sorry...again. Judy stepped out of the car one second and…Wait what happened again?” She asked dumbly, immediately forgetting the situation. Apparently, her drunken haze hadn’t worn off  _ just  _ yet. Not even after a near-death experience. That’s Judy’s sister for you… 

Speaking of Judy, she angrily swiped her phone from her, despite the uncomfortable pain, and took over speaking with Virginia. 

“Hi, Dr. Firefox, it’s me. I-I don’t know exactly what happened but I walked out of the car and instantly had this painful, brain-splitting headache and - HGH.” She was yet again interrupted by that dang tightness in her stomach! Was this what a period with only the cramps felt like? Or was she having a miscarriage? Is that even possible so far in her pregnancy? The possibility of it filled with her uncertainty and fear so Judy handed off the phone to Nina, feeling unable to continue on with the conversation. 

“Was that a contraction?!” She exclaimed. 

“I-I don’t know…?” Nina answered, slightly shaken up from the fact that their crash might just have induced Judy’s labor. Let’s hope for her own sake it hadn’t. Otherwise, Nick would definitely be killing her in the next few hours. 

“ _ Now _ who’s this?” Virginia asked, getting ever more irritated from being passed around but having racing any helpful information regarding the situation. Jasmine, officially fed up with everybody adding their unhelpfulness to this already tense day, grabbed the phone and finally explained everything. 

“Hi, this is Jasmine, Judy’s sister. She’s been having this pain come and go, most likely somewhere around her stomach and uterus, and it’s really irregular. They don’t appear painful, at the most only uncomfortable. And no, her water hasn’t broken yet. The pain looks bearable, she can talk through it at least, but that still doesn't excuse the fact we were all in a really stressful car crash. And I know Judy was on bed rest this morning, so that isn’t exactly something that is helping us at the moment…” She finished with a sigh, before returning her gaze to the group. They stared back with stunned expressions, Judy included.

Of course, it was completely natural for Jasmine to take over the situation with confidence and ease. She was, after all, the responsible sister. Judy being a close second.

There was a lack of response from Virginia's side of the call, most likely due to her taking in so much information in such a short time of receiving it, but she eventually sighed and spoke back. 

“Is Judy alright?” 

“Well she isn’t dead, so that’s good,” Jasmine answered. “But yes, she’s alright. If you don’t count for everything we went through and the pain she’s going through now. I don’t know how the kits are, however, we might have to see you about that.”

“Your right, if Judy was in a situation like a car crash when she’s supposed to be on bed rest then I wouldn’t chalk off the possibility of one of the babies turning into a birthing position or even trying to leave her body,” Dr. Firefox murmured. 

“What?!” Judy exclaimed in fear. But Nina promptly went to comfort her and hopefully put her at ease. Virginia exhaled on the other side of the phone and quickly went to give Jasmine the right instructions.

“Ok, it’s best I see her now. Thankfully you caught me on my lunch break so if you can get here in 15 minutes we can assign her a patient room for observation…” She proclaimed. “You’ll want to grab a Zoober and head to the left of Desert Dune and Red Rock, the hospital will be exactly two blocks down from there. 

“Left of Desert Dune and Red Rock got it. We’ll be there soon.” Jasmine declared, about to end the call. 

“Oh, and Jasmine?” Virginia asked, just as her paw was on the button. 

“Yes?” She questioned. It was silent for a second, but the urge in her voice only made the answer come out faster. 

“Hurry.” 

**~o0o~ 10 fast-paced and aggravating minutes later ~o0o~**

“It wasn’t contractions, most likely Braxton Hicks, so you're in the clear for now. But don’t think you’ll get to go home just because of that.” Virginia exclaimed once she finished reading Judy’s charts. They all let out a sigh of relief while Judy herself exhaled tiredly. If something  _ had _ actually happened to the kits she would never let herself live it down. Nick himself either. 

And speaking of Nick, he was just on his way here, practically fuming on the phone when finding out. Nina’s ears probably still haven’t recovered. But that would be the least of her problems when he arrives. 

“I’d like to keep her here overnight, if anything else changes drastically we might have to do an emergency C-Section.” Dr. Firefox warned, racing a gasp from Judy and the others. 

“But I thought that wouldn’t have to happen if she stayed on bed rest?!” Nina questioned. 

“Well, that was the plan...However, with the circumstances we’re facing now I don’t want to risk anything with having Judy discharged. In fact, she might even give birth today with how your guy’s luck has been,” She laughed jokingly, not actually considering the probability of that happening.

But the joke didn’t land well, leaving Judy and the others to gulp in fear, while Nina proceeded to dig herself farther into the imaginary hole she was hiding in for hopes of escaping Nick and his angry but expected rampage. 

“Anyway, you can all make yourselves comfortable. And any questions will be answered by Dr. Kepner over here,” Virginia proclaimed, referring to the intern beside her. Judy already had the pleasure of meeting last week at her previous visit to the hospital. Unfortunately, their encounters were both filled with upsetting and not exactly heart-easing news. 

April gave a happy little wave, pleased to see Judy again, before promptly returning to her clipboard and whatever paper was on it.

“So it was the car crash that ended up causing it?” Jasmine questioned. 

“I don’t think so. While it did raise her stress levels and the chance of preterm labor, I believe the cause was dehydration. Judy’s levels seemed low on her charts,” April interrupted, grabbing the attention of everyone in the room. 

“I haven’t had anything to drink today other than hot chocolate…” Judy acknowledged, mumbling to herself. 

“Good eye Kepner!” Virginia praised. “As you can see, you’re in good hands!” Suddenly, a loud but melodic ringing came from Dr. Firefox's wristwatch. She looked down and proceeded to start regathering her things before heading out the room. 

“And with that my lunch breaks over, I’ll make sure to see you again after finishing my 4:00 surgery. Make sure to drink lots of fluids!” Virginia stated right as the door closed and she disappeared into the Maternity floors hallway. But just as she shut the door and left it immediately swung open and revealed another figure. And the chances are, Judy already knew who it was going to be. Yet much to her surprise, it wasn’t Nick. 

“Mom? What are you doing here?” Nina proclaimed once seeing Victoria enter the room with a large patterned tote bag, her husband close behind. 

“Why else? I rushed over as soon as Nick told me what happened!” She answered. Victoria soon moved by Judy’s side and started fussing over her very being. “Are alright sweetheart? Nothing broken?”

“Victoria I’m fine,” Judy said assuringly. “It isn’t even that big of a deal.”

“Not a big deal?! You crashed into a light pole while on bed rest!” She then turned to glare infuriatingly at Nina. “How could you let this happen?!”

“What?! How is this my fault? I didn’t do anything!” Nina retaliated, while her mother scoffed in response.

“Well, you’re going to have to think of a better excuse than that. Because your brother is right behind us.” And just as she mentioned him Nick burst into the room, practically pushing the door hard enough it nearly slams into the wall adjacent to it. Judy perked up when seeing him, but instantly cowered once seeing the deadly stare he had in his eyes. 

“Heyyyy Slick…” She recoiled. The expression on his face instantly morphed into concern and relief when seeing her. Nick rushed to the right of her and placed his paws on her cheeks as he kissed her forehead. As if she’d dissolve into the atmosphere in any second. 

“Thank goodness you're not dead,” He exhaled. 

“Of course she’s not dead. It was just a slight fender bender with some public property! Not like we all drove off a cliff or something,” Nina shrugged nonchalantly, receiving a scowl from Nick and their mother. 

“I’ll deal with you later,” He sneered, acting the role of a disappointed parent. Almost like Victoria wasn’t in the room at all. Nick returned his attention back to Judy, fussing over every non-existent problem she had on her body. 

“Are the kits ok? Are you ok?” He asked fearfully. 

“Yes, we’re both fine. Nothing to worry about,” Judy answered, her voice wavering while trying not to be obvious of her lie. Only because she didn’t want to make him stressed out as well. Yet, out of the corner of her eye, she saw April and Jasmine sending disbelieving stares their way. 

Judy let out a sigh of defeat. Knowing fully well that if she  _ didn’t _ tell Nick about the possibility of his kids coming out sooner rather than later becoming more of a chance then he would most likely not forgive her later. And the idea of them getting into another big silly fight right before the birth of their children made her want to curl up and hide. 

“Actually…I’m not sure…” She murmured, looking up at Nick with uncertain eyes. 

“Why? What’s going on?” He exclaimed. 

“Uhh...well...there may or may not be a chance that the fact I haven’t drunk any water today means I’ve induced a preterm labor in the next few days even…” Judy answered slowly, half-expecting his brain to explode that very second. Instead, his expression died down and he listened calmly with each word. After she finished Nick nodded, taking in the entire thing. He then turned to look her in the eye with a non-threatening stare.

“Ok...so as long we are careful from here on out we have a chance of that not happening? I mean, is it better to avoid preterm labor if we don’t want anything bad to happen during the birth?” Nick suggested.

“Actually, if Judy were to go into preterm labor today or any day before her 37th-week there’s a possibility that we’d be forced to do a C-section,” April suddenly spoke. Yet again being way too helpful in the moment. 

“Wait there’s a chance she could give birth today?!” Nick exclaimed, instantly dropping his previous calm demeanor. 

“Only if her body purposely forces her too,” April shrugged. “That or if some sort of other greater force out there was controlling all the strings and made her go into labor for the purpose of “adding into the drama” or whatever…” The room went eerily silent after that, an awkward cough here and there. Until finally, Nick let out a tired sigh and looked back at Judy. 

Only this time, his eyes were filled with what seemed to be a mix of “please tell me it’s going to be ok,” and, “everything’s totally fine, don’t worry.” As if he was trying to inwardly calm himself down all the while he tried to assure Judy herself it wouldn't go awry. 

Thankfully, they both got distracted by Victoria's sudden placing of various things on Judy’s hospital bed. Various things like an extra pair of clothes, a bathrobe, toiletry supplies, extra makeup, and what seemed to be a giant yoga ball. She stared at the items confusingly and stared at Virginia in hopes of clearing things up. 

“You  _ do  _ know that visiting hours end at around 7:30? When they say “make yourselves comfortable” I don’t think it means something as literal as this…” Judy proclaimed, pursing her lips in thought. 

“Of course I know that! Don’t be silly. This is for you, during the birth! Are you two going to tell me that haven’t even planned a hospital bag yet?” She interrogated, placing a paw on her hip in disbelief. Judy and Nick awkwardly glanced at each other, both then shrugging hesitantly in response. 

“If it helps…” Nick began. “We already finished up the nursery and buying everything for the kits!”

“And did you remember to set up a car seat?” Victoria questioned, looking him dead in the eye. Nick gulped nervously and looked to Judy, who gave a sheepish smile in response. Out of everything they had prepared a hospital bag and car seat were definitely not one of those things. His mother sighed and shook her head. 

“I felt like something like this would happen…Do not worry, I already have Cooper out on the job. He’ll find you the most “stylish” car seat, as he put it.” Virginia declared. 

“Thank you for all of this, really! But I don’t need it for today at least.” Judy exclaimed. “After all, the bed rest is supposed to help me prevent going into labor today. Right, April?” She turned to face the intern, who had hidden half of her muzzle with her clipboard in an attempt to avoid answering. Judy stared at her suspiciously, becoming wary of her lack of response. 

“April...I won’t go into labor today as long as I stay on bed rest...Right?” She repeated, desperately hoping that her answer would be what it should be. Y _ ep, bed rest is the solution to all your problems! _

Instead, her answer was, “Well…” The intern nervously avoided their gaze and the question, focusing on anything else but them

“April! Right?” Judy exclaimed for the last time. 

“It might happen!” She finally answered. “You  _ might _ go into labor today…”

“B-But Dr. Firefox told us the bed rest would -”

“The bed rest isn’t always conclusive. There have been some studies showing that it doesn’t impact a large change and most expecting mothers would go into preterm anyway…” April declared, before cowering behind her clipboard. Judy stared at her dumbfoundedly. If that was true, then why in the world was she being forced into the dang thing now?!

“However!” She interrupted, regaining her attention. “We only put mothers on bed rest so they don’t freak out or get chronic stress levels from their odds. If you remain calm and try not to raise your own too much then there is a chance you could make it to term.” Judy was about to ask further questions but was interrupted by the beeping of April’s pager. 

“Dang it! I have to go, 911 in the Trauma wing. I’ll check up on you guys with Dr. Firefox after her surgery!” She exclaimed, right before rushing out of the room in a tizzy. 

The room fell into a tense yet comfortable silence after that. John plopping down tiredly on a nearby chair from all the chaos and Nina avoiding Nick’s threatening aura by pretending to be on her phone. Judy let out a sigh and instead went to helping Victoria take out the rest of the things in her pre-packed hospital bag and place them on the bed. It was normally meant for more average mammals so there was plenty of room to spare. 

Suddenly, the silence was broken by yet another intense noise. And thanks to Judy’s larger-scaled hearing, she was becoming more and more irritated by all the commotion. The noise was coming from Jasmine’s cell phone but was promptly overpowered by Jeanette’s shriek of fear when looking over her shoulder and seeing the caller ID. 

“It’s Dad!” She squealed. Jasmine rolled her eyes and started dragging the other two outside with her free hand. 

“I’m going to take these two into the hallway so they can give our parents an honest explanation as to why they aren’t at home and Dad’s truck is now in some pickup companies dump.” She scowled, before giving a tired wave goodbye to Judy and leaving the room. The groans of protest could still be heard from her two sisters despite the closed door. 

“Is someone going to elaborate on what just happened?” Victoria questioned, witnessing the scene with a baffled expression. 

“Its…a long story…” Judy sighed, folding the extra pairs of clothes with an exhausted expression. Nick took note of this and did what any other great boyfriend would do, clear the room so she could finally get some peace and quiet. 

“Mom, why don’t you take Nina and Dad and head to the hospital’s cafeteria and try finding something to eat? It isn’t actually as bad as most mammals claim it to be. There’s a coffee cart down there every day if you’re interested.” He suggested, already ushering them out of the room. 

“With the day I’m having I deserve a nice cup of coffee…” Nina exhaled melodramatically. 

“I’m dealing with you later, I mean it.” He growled, before finally, and thankfully, closing the door and allowing them to be alone. They both let out a sigh of relief, before laughing simultaneously as well. 

“Nina’s sort of right though.” Judy chuckled in between laughs. “Today  _ has _ been a handful.” Nick moved to help her with the rest of the bags things and smirked.

“You tell me. I left the apartment an hour ago just to take care of some small thing at work and I come back to not see my beloved and very pregnant girlfriend anywhere.” 

“Well it isn’t like I could get very far with this stomach,” She joked. 

“Carrots you made it all the way near the border of the district and the heart of the city,” He stated, looking her in eye. Judy averted his gaze and pouted. 

“Yeah well, I was picking up Nina and not doing anything else stressful. If you don’t count taking care of my drunk sister’s stressful…” She mumbled. 

“Oh my god, I forgot about them. How in the world did  _ that _ happen?” He asked in a frenzied shock. 

“Another long story I don’t feel like telling,” Judy sighed. “But let’s focus back on the company! It’s weirdly calming hearing you talk all business-like and formal…” She acknowledged. The corners of his mouth quirked up and he stepped in closer to her. 

“Is that so?” Nick gloated.

“Maybe…” Judy mused. “I guess I just like hearing about my boyfriend’s interesting day at the office.” 

“Well, maybe I want to hear about my girlfriend’s crazy adventure outside of our apartment?” He argued, turning the tables on her. Now it was Judy’s time to smirk move in closer as well. 

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” She jokingly questioned, while planting a small kiss on his nose. Nick rolled his eyes and kissed her cheek lovingly.

“Yes, yes I would.”

**~o0o~**

Judy was taking a small walk around the Maternity floor with the help of Nina and Fru Fru. And although it might not be the greatest idea in her condition, she would’ve definitely gone crazy being cooped up in that dang room of hers. It smelled like the uneasy feeling of death with a mix of absolute chaos and sanitizer. Not exactly a fun combination. Plus, it would be nice to stretch her legs after being confined to her bed for three hours or so. 

She had only been there for a while since arriving after the crash, but the hospital feeling was already settling in. One of the nurses even tried to give her a jello cup as a snack and to “lift her spirits.” As if she was preparing for the worst. Judy shuddered and instead focusing on walking - or waddling in her case - around the Maternity wing with Nina and Fru.

Nina managed to get away from Nick and her parents, after a very long and angry talking too, as if the entire crash was her fault. When it really wasn’t. And Fru finally made it after finishing her previous errands. The three were all together again. Just like old times. Well, not  _ exactly  _ old times since their very first hand out together was around half a year ago. 

Funny how fast time flies when you’re going through a pregnancy in an entirely new setting all the while ignoring the growing drama from back home.

Speaking of ignoring the drama, Judy was trying her best to stay at ease and not risk anything with the kits. If she even seemed on the verge of a nervous break-down or hyperventilating spell then she would just remember the trusty breathing exercises her labor classes taught her. 

“Are you sure your alright?” Nina suddenly asked, breaking Judy from her focused trance. 

“Hm? Oh, yes! Nina, I’m fine, really. You don’t have to beat yourself down about the crash just because your parents and Nick are.” Judy assured. 

“I  _ wish _ I could! But I can’t help it! If you actually went into labor today and something bad were to happen then I would never be able to forgive myself!” She exclaimed. 

“Nina, darling, you don’t have to worry about the past.” Fru interrupted from atop Judy’s shoulder. “It’s all done and over with! If anything, we can all learn from it. If anyone should be getting all down and depressed over the entire thing it should be that crazy driver! I mean, who drives at a 50 in a 40-mile zone?!” She scoffed, getting a laugh from the others.

Judy chuckled cheerfully as they continued on their third walk around the floor. For once that day it felt like things weren’t focused on her pregnancy or her bed rest, but rather, just enjoying things. She hadn’t felt like this since Clawsmas, and maybe not even before that. Leaving Bunnyburrow, moving in with Nick, and meeting his family all turned out to be the best things that have happened to her.

If it wasn’t for him, or the mammals she’s surrounded by now, she never would’ve seen the possibility of a life like this. A happy one. And while it may be filled with its problems on some occasions, it’s still enjoyable enough you’d want to keep living it. Judy couldn’t ask for something better. 

She was reminiscing over the last few months of her life while watching Nina and Fru banter with her about something, feeling the nostalgic feeling tighten around her chest. Or was it something else?

Just then, the sound of something liquid could be heard hitting the floor. And Judy could feel this wet and sicking feeling trickle down her leg. The banter stopped, and all three of them looked down to see the theatrically obvious. And with how everything’s been going that entire day - no, that entire week - it isn’t all that surprising that this out all things was to happen as well.

After all, April and Virginia did mention a chance of it happening. And if there really was some mysterious force up there controlling the strings of fate, they’d be having a field day.

Judy looked down and grimaced, feeling that the next few hours of her life, would be the most important ones to date. 

Her water broke. 

**To be continued in Part 3…**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sweet cheese and crackers
> 
> Words cannot express how sorry I am for taking so long to publish this chapter! :((
> 
> I was so busy at school with the last assignments and huge projects that I couldn't find time during the week to work on this. And with taking up ice skating after my school days my time was pretty limited until 11:00...
> 
> I hope this chapter and its intense but forthcoming cliffhanger will make up for it. You guys did ask for drama! :D
> 
> Anyway, I have to post this chapter on the other websites and get some sleep, otherwise, I will drop dead and this story will definitely join me. 
> 
> But mark my words, I will publish Chapter 23 soon. So please please PLEASE continue to stick around and wait for it. I don't know where I'd be without you guys :((((
> 
> Till next time! I love you all!!!! Bye, and stay safe!


	22. Chapter 22: The Delivery ~ Part 3

**Chapter 22: The Delivery ~ Part 3**

* * *

Have you ever watched a really dramatic scene in a movie that follows with the characters entire world just freezing in place? Or read about your book reaching its climax in the story and wondering what would happen next? The unknown, uncertain, and down-right unpredictable? Well, if you were Judy, and you just witnessed your water breaking on the tiled floor in the hospital, then you're most likely asking yourself all these questions. Because God knows she was too. 

“Judy?” Nina proclaimed, breaking her clouded train of thought.

“Hmm?” She answered, voice wavering somewhat. 

“D-Did your water just break? Right here, right now? Nina questioned, even though witnessing the entire thing happen in front of her.

“U-Uh…I think so…” Judy stuttered, looking up at the others with wide eyes, nose twitching crazily.

“Ok let’s all calm down,” Fru exclaimed composedly. “We don’t  _ know  _ what’s going on. We aren’t exactly educated doctors with the experience to determine what just happened...”

“Well, I don’t need 4 years of medical school and 5 years of a surgical residency to tell that Judy’s water literally just broke in front of us. Not to mention that her doctor mentioned this could happen.” Nina scoffed. 

“Yeah, but she didn’t mention it happening over a simple walk around a hospital floor!” Judy whined. 

“We don’t know that!” Fru countered. 

“We don’t  _ know _ anything! But what we should be doing right now is bringing her back to the room and paging that intern, Alice. Or whatever her name is!” Nina yelled, already stealing a wheelchair in the possession of an unsuspecting nurse. 

“Hey! You can’t take that! I have a patient that’s -”

“Who cares about your dang patient?! My best friend’s going into labor! So get off your high maintenance tail and let us through!” Nina hissed, causing some other mammals on call to turn their heads as well. The nurse looked taken aback at first, but after one look at Judy and the floor, she could quickly tell that the situation was becoming something out of her hands. With a tired shrug, she allowed the wheelchair to be taken away from her as she moved over to a nearby computer and carried on with her work. 

Poor news for that patient whose seat Nina just stole, however… 

Anyway, Judy was instantly propelled into the seat, extremely careful given her circumstances, however, and pushed back into the direction of her room. The entire ordeal moved by so fast she didn’t even have a split second to grab her phone and call Nick. He left her, for what, 25-30 minutes? For the second time, that day, and  _ this  _ happens? Someone out there really must be pulling the strings of drama and torment…

But that was the least of her worries at the moment. Because  _ now _ , Judy had the most crucial event in her life coming up. Right after the day she graduates from the Zootopia Police Academy and becomes part of the city's finest, of course. And by the time they ended back in the room, she tried to stand up but instantly tried to sit back down. 

It was that annoying tight feeling again! Why, why now? And how was it worse than the last time?! Almost as if this wasn’t Braxton Hicks like after the car crash. Wait a minute… 

Judy rushed a paw to her stomach, expecting the sturdy surface from her pregnancy belly but feeling a strained and rigid surface instead! Sweet cheese and crackers...She grimaced and widened her eyes in fear. 

“What’s wrong?” Fru exclaimed when noticing her expression. But slowly allowed the thoughts to compile in her mind and expanded her own eyes as well in realizations. “Don’t tell me…”

“I feel like I should, _but_ I think if I do something bad’s probably gonna happen when acknowledging it…” Judy whimpered, attempting to stand up again but ultimately failing. 

“Acknowledge what?” A voice proclaimed from behind the girls. They turned simultaneously and witnessed April enter the room; clipboard and everything, with a tilted head as she stared out at the scene in front of her. 

“Judy’s water broke and now we think she’s having a contraction!” Nina suddenly blurted out everything anxiously, unable to keep her stress bottled up.

“What?!” April exclaimed, nearly dropping her clipboard. “But that shouldn’t even happen unless -” She stopped mid-sentence and paused to think. “Unless…”

“Unless what?” Fru questioned. 

“Well…something like that shouldn’t happen unless she was going into labor...and if one of the kits was sitting exactly above the vaginal exit…” April hesitated. 

“So you’re saying that I’m going into labor? Right now?” Judy exclaimed, hyperventilating. 

“I’m just restating facts from research! I’m only an intern…I can’t diagnose anyone yet.” She mused apologetically. 

“Then find us someone who can!” Nina asserted, causing most of the mammals in the room to flinch. 

“I can’t!” April proclaimed in response. “Dr. Firefox is still in surgery, t-there were these complications on her patient and she’s still held up…” 

“And we’re supposed to what, just wait here for her? While Judy’s going through the worst pain imaginable!?” She stated dumbfoundedly. 

“It’s actually pretty manageable right now,” Judy announced. “ I can still feel a pressure, but it isn’t as bad as before.” 

“That must mean the contractions subsiding, we’ll have to start timing them to make sure this isn't false labor or anything else. Of course, the possibilities are endless.” April instantly appeared at her side and started examining Judy, going into full medical nerd mode. 

“I’ll set a timer on my phone,” Nina offered, calming herself down in order to ease the situation. The others helped Judy move to the bed in case another contraction came and she’d be contained to her wheelchair. Fru, throughout all of this, was still settled upon her shoulder. Making sure to stay right by her side for support. After all, it was something that Judy desperately needed right now. 

Yet, at the thought of this, all the help and support. Toppled with the immense levels of fear. It only made Judy think of Nick. And how he was missing every second of this. 

“Before we do anything,” She began, once fully settled on the hospital bed, “We should contact Nick and the others. They’re probably still down at the cafeteria or someplace else.” Nina looked obviously against it since there was a 100 percent chance that Nick would blame her for taking her for a walk, but the others promptly nodded. 

Judy grabbed her phone and dialed his number. She waited and sat up once hearing an accepting click from the other side, but didn’t hear Nick’s voice. 

“Hey Judester, what’s up?” It was Cooper and his ever peppy aura on the other line. 

“Cooper! Uh, hi…Can you give the phone to Nick, we kinda have to get you all back up here…”

“Why, did something happen?” He asked, worry and intrigue lining his voice. Judy paused and tried to think up a plausible summary of the last 10 minutes or so, but the only thing that came out was this. 

“My water broke…aaand we’re all kinda freaking out over here…” 

“Wait, what?! You’re water broke?” Cooper exclaimed. Nina shook her head and grabbed the phone from her paw and started speaking into it. 

“Yeah, her water broke. Although, not really a surprise since we were all warned that this might happen. Of course, maybe that is something I should’ve taken into consideration when taking her for a short leisurely walk around the Maternity floor. Now can you stop stating the obvious and get Nick and our parents back up here?” She demanded, sounding vaguely like Jasmine when in her authoritative older sister state. 

It was silent on the other end, maybe some shuffling noises, but Copper eventually responded. 

“Uh…that might be a problem at the moment…” He wavered. Nina resisted the urge to growl into the phone but did so anyhow. 

“And why is that exactly?” 

“Because the elevators are broken...and we can’t use the stairs either on account of them being blocked off from some chemical spill…” Cooper explained slowly, racing an irritated and completely done-with-all-of-it sigh from Nina. 

“Why am I not surprised…?” 

“But at least it’s Mac and Cheese day down here at the cafeteria…I could bring you guys some when we find a way back up?” He offered peacefully.

“Mac and Cheese does sound good about now.” Fur exclaimed. Judy tried to nod in response but started to feel that pressurized feeling in her abdomen for the second time that day. She lurched forward in discomfort and tried to focus on how long it’d seem to last. Because if these were contractions, Judy should be cautious. 

The girls noticed this and helped in comforting her. Fru especially since she was the closest. April was busy looking at the timer Nina set up and charting her supposed contractions, while Nina continued talking with Cooper on the phone. 

“We’ll take those Mac and Cheeses to go, but you guys have to figure out a way to get back up here soon. I don’t care if you have to end up climbing up the walls of this hospital and breaking into some nearby window, just find a way! Oh, and when you tell Nick, make sure he doesn't faint.” She finished, ending the call and handing the cell back to Judy, who rejected it since still fully focused on her own “problem.” 

“How far apart is this from the first one?” Nina exclaimed, turning to April. 

“Like a solid 12 minutes I think, could be more.” She answered unsurely. 

“12 minutes? It felt shorter than that…” Fru proclaimed confused. 

“Oh, well when timing contractions we have to start from when the last one started. I’m only making an educated guess since I wasn’t with you all when this all started.” April explained. Fru nodded and listened, getting a better grasp on the situation, and continued to help Judy breathe through it. 

In her own little bubble, she herself tried to remember the breathing exercises her classes thought her about. The ones that she was still taking before being put on bed rest. In and out, and then all over again like an oxygen-deprived lunatic. God, everything felt as if it only happened yesterday.

Finding out she was pregnant from Karla, telling Nick, telling her parents…They weren’t even here, and Judy didn’t know how to feel about that. Especially since nowadays it only felt like they were drifting further away. There’s a chance that today she could give birth to their grandkids, but she didn’t even know if they’d be willing to meet them. And then what, her kits go without meeting their other relatives? 275 siblings who they’ll never get to meet because of their entitled ways. 

Judy pushed the thoughts away and continued to focus on her breathing. And how the room was slowly filled with an uncomfortable tension. A tension that only can be described as the ones followed after agonizing situations. Like when one of your friends is giving birth. 

Thankfully, the lack of conversation was broken by April being professionally wise and continuing to ask her every necessary question. 

“Were you planning on using an epidural?” She asked pensively. Judy opened her mouth to answer then hesitated. She and Nick were still unsure of where they stood on the birth plan. The only thing she knew they were 100 percent on the same page was that Judy was definitely not doing a home birth.

“I-I don’t know. Shouldn’t I at least  _ try  _ to give birth naturally?” She suggested, then feeling her contraction simmer down and sighing gratefully. 

“I wouldn’t advise that actually,” April warned. “Since you are only 17 and this is your first pregnancy, complications are on the greater scale and more likely to happen.” 

“Yeah I’d have to agree on that,” Nina added. “When my mom gave birth to Cooper it was natural but it led to her losing a lot of blood as well. She had to stay in the hospital for around more than two weeks after that.”

“And you and Nick? Was that natural as well?” Judy questioned. 

“No, she actually went for a C-section on ours. Doctors said she would have lost too much blood and die if given an epidural.” She answered solemnly. Judy paused for a second, but then nodded with assurance towards April.

“I’ll take the epidural.”

“Alright then, I’ll just send your charts down to the nurses so they can bring up all the necessary things. But if your contractions are really only 12 minutes apart for now then I believe you’ll be alright for a few hours.” April stated. 

“But...there is still a chance that she can give birth today?” Nina interrogated. She sighed and nodded.

“Yes, but I have no doubt that Judy’s in good hands. I’m sure that Dr. Firefox will be able to finish up in time to come back and make sure everything runs smoothly.” She said with an assuring smile. 

“I’ll be back soon, but make sure to keep timing her contractions. If they start becoming faster and more painful then we’ll help you get started on everything. Just try to remain calm until then.” And with that April gave a small wave before leaving the room. 

Judy smiled bittersweetly as she exited, resisting exhaling in agony at the thought of these contractions becoming worse. Nonetheless, she knew deep down in her own doubting subconscious that things weren’t going to get any brighter from here on out. If anything, they might just get worse. 

But on the brighter side, at least she’ll get to meet her kits? Judy only hoped that it would happen later, with Nick by her side. 

**~o0o~**

Cooper had always been the laidback yet completely supportive older brother. While on occasion being all over the place as well. The chaotic good of sorts. But when it came to his siblings, he’d always make sure they’d stay safe. However, given how he just found out that his own brother’s girlfriend's water broke and had to chance of going into labor and how he didn’t know about it, his own safety was at risk at the moment. Because when it came to Judy, nothing could make Nick think of anyone else. 

Cooper had just gotten on the phone with Nina, rubbing the creases of his eyes together, and headed towards the others to let them in on the unforeseen news. But he was stopped by his mother instantly showing up beside him. 

“Was that Judy?” She questioned, with a motherly tilt of the head. 

“Ahh!” He jumped back, paw clutching his chest. Victoria became instantly concerned. 

“Jesus what’s wrong. The fur on your tail is all prickled and you look like you’ve looked death straight in the eye!” She exclaimed. 

“Uh…w-well there might be a reason for that…” He hesitated, holding Nick’s phone tightly. Victoria eyed him suspiciously. 

“What’s going on Cooper? Is something going on with Judy?” His mouth wavered when answering but he knew there was no chance of lying to his own mother in the face. 

“There is a chance that Judy is going into labor right now. Because her water just broke. And since the elevators are shut down and the stairs are closed because of that random chemical spill…”

“We can’t go up to the room and see her.” She added. Cooper looked taken aback by his mother’s level of calmness. 

“Why aren’t you as freaked out about this as me?” He questioned.

“Oh please, I’ve had my fair share of friends who have gone into preterm labor. And given how Judy was just in a car crash that followed with Braxton Hicks, the fact she’s going into labor isn’t that much of a surprise.” Victoria smirked confidently. He stood agape and tried to respond with anything but simply shrugged and quickly accepted her fast-paced intuition. 

“We’ll have to tell your brother,” She sighed, shaking her head. 

“Tell me what?” Nick suddenly exclaimed from behind the two. Cooper shirked twice as loud this time, getting the attention of others in the cafeteria, before having his mother shoosh him angrily. 

“Be quiet!” Victoria turned her attention back to Nick with a strained smile on her face. 

“Nicholas, sweetheart, we have to tell you something but you’ll have to try not to freak out. Because God knows if you’re like your father in this situation you’ll only end up passing out.” He stared confusingly at his mother Cooper. 

“Ok…what’s going on…?” Nick asked hesitantly. 

“Actually before we tell you anything I’m just going to take  _ this _ ,” Cooper laughs anxiously and grabbed the bowl of Mac and Cheese in his paws and sat down at a nearby table while continuing to watch the scene play out in front of him. “You can continue now.” 

Victoria sighed irritatingly but returned to explaining the situation to Nick. 

“Cooper just got off the phone with Judy, and apparently…her water broke. And she might be going into labor, right now.” 

Nick didn’t say anything at first. No, instead he just stared, as if not completely believing what he just heard. A blank expression that quickly morphed into a berserk one. His eyes looked like he was about to scream but he actually just started laughing hysterically. Crazily in fact. 

“Oh my god, we broke him…” Cooper gasped silently. 

“We didn’t break him!” Victoria countered, before turning to Nick. “Sweetie, are you alright?” He continued laughing, like someone who just had a life-changing slap to the face. 

“I head to the cafeteria to grab something to eat…” He started. “I leave for what - 30 minutes? And her water breaks!” 

“Nick?” Cooper stood up and tried to comfort him, but he was only shaking his head in agony while continuing to laugh like a mad fox. 

“Hah…I am a terrible father…” He sighed, wiping a tear from his eye as if it was comically ironic that something like this happened when he wasn’t there to see it. Victoria growled and swatted his head, pulling him somewhat back to reality. 

“You need to get a hold of yourself! Because right now, there are worse things to worry about than not being the perfect parent. We can’t get back to the room because this hospital can’t get its priorities together and make sure it’s running right.” She exclaimed, receiving an offended glare from some passing nurses. 

“Oh quit getting your tails in a twist! My daughter-in-law is going into labor!” She hissed before turning to Nick and slapping him on the head for the second time. 

“Ow! What was that for?” He questioned, rubbing the attacked surface.

“ _ That _ ,” Victoria began, “Is for you not hurrying up and marrying that girl already. For Christ’s sake Nicholas, I have never seen you fall more head over heels in love for someone, and instead of buying her a ring you bought a car?!” 

“I thought it was a good idea!” He rebutted anxiously.

“A good idea? Like the time you thought it was a good idea to get her pregnant before finishing high school? That was a good idea?!” She sneered. 

“Why are we going back to this topic?!” Nick questioned. Cooper took in the entire moment with glee, feeling like he was witnessing a dramedy at the theater. 

“Oh, I’ll tell you why Nicholas.” Victoria glared. “Because I’m never going to let you live that decision down, even if it did end up with me having grandchildren before I turned 50, you’re still going to be hearing this till I’m on my deathbed. But now, now we have to focus on finding a way back up to the hospital room.”

“C-Can I at least try calling Judy to check in on her before we do anything else? Do we even know if she’s had a contraction yet or how many centimeters dilated she is?” Nick pleaded. Victoria sighed and smiled solemnly. 

“Of course, I wouldn’t deprive you of that before we do anything else. Cooper, can you give him the phone?” She asked, grabbing his attention. He stepped out of his intrigued daze and nodded vigorously. 

“Yep! It was right - wait a minute. That’s weird…” He mumbled.

“What is it?” Nick questioned.

“Well, your phone was right here, on the table, right next to Mom’s purse. But…now it isn’t…” Copper exclaimed. He started to look around frantically, thinking the items had fallen on the floor but then saw a hunched raccoon in the distance holding both of those things and running away. 

“Hey! Stop that raccoon!” He tried to scream loud enough for someone on the sidelines to hear and notice in order to stop him in time, but they all just stared waiting for something to happen. Jeez, it’s like no one cares about the wellbeing of other mammals these days. 

Suddenly, the thief was out of view, being pushed into some wall by another figure, but neither Cooper nor Nick could see who. There were a lot of loud grunts, signs of an obvious intense interaction between two individuals, which only drew in the attention of more and more nearby mammals. And then, the noises stopped, and a smaller figure emerged through the crowd, their clothing completely trashed. Cooper and Victoria had no idea who they were, but Nick promptly did. 

“Savage! Oh my god!” 

The rabbit looked up, still fixing his disheveled collar, but instantly broke into a surprised grin. 

“Wilde!” He beamed, then turned to face Victoria and Cooper. “And I take it that these belong to you two?” Jack held out her purse and the phone, which were taken with gratitude. 

“Oh, thank you so much!” Victoria exclaimed. 

“Always an exhilarating thing to stop mammals in the wrong,” He shrugged. Jack then refocused his attention on Nick, giving him a slight shove of the shoulder. Amusing given their different sizes. 

“I have to admit it’s truly a surprise to run into you here. But, where is Judy? Normally if she isn’t at the university I’d expect to see her right at your hip.” He questioned, looking around for the rabbit. Nick rubbed his neck awkwardly before answering, receiving an obvious gasp of shock from Jack. 

“Don’t tell me you two broke up!” 

“What?! No!” Nick exclaimed, putting up both his paws in protest. 

“Oh…then where is she?” He questioned, before slowly putting together the pieces and widening his eyes in realization. “Wait, you’re all at the hospital, it’s March 31st and that would mean…Good god is she in labor?!” 

“Wow, that was fast…” Cooper proclaimed in awe. 

“Isn’t he that friend of yours who works in the government?” Victoria asked, getting a better grasp on the situation now that she’s recognized him. 

“Y-Yes, um, Mom, Cooper, this is Jack Savage. He’s been a friend of Judy and me for almost a year now.” Nick explained. Jack reached out a paw which was shaken by both of them. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet the parentals, Wilde,” He smirked. “However, I think my congratulations on your new addition to the family might have to be later than expected. I have to visit a friend of mine on the third floor.”

“You didn’t hear?” Cooper asked. “About the elevators being shut off, and the stairs covered in some chemical spill?”

“No, I heard. I just have my own ways of getting up there.” Jack answered vaguely. “It’s a bit of an outside-of-the-box kind of transportation. But hey, it gets the job done. 

“And what exactly would this” “outside of the box” transportation look like?” Cooper questioned, intrigued. “I’m only asking since, as you can see, we are also stuck on this floor without any means of getting back to Judy in time.” 

“Ah! How rude of me, I would absolutely help you return to Miss Hopps. In honesty, I don’t think she’d forgive me if I didn’t.” Jack chuckled heartily. 

“Oh thank goodness,” Victoria exclaimed, relieved. “I thought we would have to end up scaling the building in some sort of James Pond kind of way…” Jack half-smiled and gave a semi-assured move of the paw. 

“Ehh…not completely out of the question…” 

“So where is this “transport?” Nick asked, eager to get back to Judy and their kits. Especially since now, it would be face to face. Bloody, and weirdly adorable yet sort of disturbing faces, but still face to face. 

Jack smirked confidently. 

“I’ll show you.”

**~o0o~ 6 hours later ~o0o~**

Judy was busy fiddling with the strings of her hospital gown when hearing Nina and Fru snicker from beside her. 

“What’s so funny?” She questioned, confused. 

“Nothing,” Nina giggled. “It’s just that…you’re really calm about all this. And, I don’t know, don’t you think we can tell that you’re freaking out inwardly about this but you’re trying to stay calm for the kits?”

“What?! It isn’t that obvious!” Judy exclaimed, becoming slightly offended. 

“Well,” Fru began, adding in her own input from the small bedside cabinet she was perched upon, “your contractions started around six or so hours ago, then randomly paused, never going less than 12 minutes apart, and then suddenly sped up to more than 6 minutes apart just a short while ago. And here you are, nose twitching at the speed of light and mind probably spinning around like a carousel with clouding thoughts yet your fiddling with your hospital gown!” 

“So?” She questioned dumbly. “I’m just really interested in how they’re made! That doesn’t stand for anything…” 

“Girl, we’ve had enough Saturday coffee at Snarlbucks to know when you’re bothered by something. Just talk to us, it isn’t healthy to keep things bottled up.” Nina pleaded, concerned. 

Judy opened her mouth to assure them that everything’s truly fine, she wasn’t bothered, but even she could feel how hard her nose was twitching at that moment. She sighed and let go of the strings. 

“I’m just…really scared…” Judy mumbled. “I don’t think I could do this, and the idea of giving birth to three living mammals is pretty darn awesome, but I’m still only a kid myself…” 

“Aw, Judy…” Fru sighed. “You’re going to be great at this, we all know it!”

“But what if I’m not? I’ll basically be these kits’ older sister, and if mammals actually see me out in public with them on the street -”

“Nuh-uh!” Nina exclaimed, standing up and grabbing Fru and leading them both to the end of her bed. “We’re not going to go through this again, especially right now. Because  _ this _ ,” She said, pointing to her forehead or more figuratively her mind, “is because of your pregnancy and parent’s stupid views on your kits.” 

“She’s right!” Fru squeaked determinedly. “Your parents, everything else anyone has said, they’re wrong. And if there even is a chance you don’t end up the parent you’ve always wanted to be, then we’ll still be there for you, all of us.” The shrew moved closer to the paw placed atop her stomach and placed her own smaller one on top of it. Nina followed and smiled reassuringly. 

“All of us. This isn’t something you’ll be going through alone…” Judy chuckled and smiled in response. 

“Thanks…I only wish that Nick was here as well…”

“I swear to god those guys have disappeared off the city district or something. Even my own Snapclaw can’t find them. Saying that they’re 700 ft in the air or something…” Nina sighed, shaking her head. 

“Wait, but I thought you said they were with Jack?” Judy proclaimed. 

“I did, but at this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if they pulled a total scavenger hunt on us and scattered their phones all over the city so I can’t find them and slap them some sense into their heads.” She scoffed. 

“Well, Nick would never disappear without telling me. Unless, of course, it was for some sort of surprise. Otherwise, no. And you don’t have the guts to slap your mother.” Judy stated disbelievingly. 

“Sure the present me wouldn’t. But three-year-old Nina…well, she had some guts.” She laughed, the others soon joined in. Judy was giggling madly when having to stop and clutch her stomach. She was having a contraction, and Fru must have felt it too given how she was exactly on top of her stomach. 

“Ooohh…” Judy breathed slowly. In and out, just like the books and teachers told her. But that’s kinda hard to do when the thought of giving birth is still haunting your mind. 

“That was definitely not more than 6 minutes…” Nina grimaced. She rushed over to her phone across the room and almost fumbled it fast enough for it to reach the ground but caught in time. She opened it up and read over the timer that was still running.

“It says 4 minutes!” Nina exclaimed. 

“What?!” Fru yelped. “How did it go from over 6 minutes to 4!?” Nina shook her head unsure. 

“Only April can answer that one…”

“Someone say my name?” The group turned towards the door where April walked in with some nurses in tow, wheeling some kind of machine with them. 

“Thank goodness you’re here…” Nina sighed gratefully. “Judy’s contractions dropped to 4 minutes apart now so you guys have to get that epidural in her stat.” 

“Oh god! We’ll do that right now, of course.” She exclaimed, moving the machine farther into the room and closer to the hospital bed. 

“Now, I do have to put a shot in first in order to numb your spine, and then we’ll have to make a small incision from there and -”

“Just put the fricken drugs inside my body!” Judy yelled, getting an amused look from Nina. Fru looked humored by her friend's antics as well but chalked it up to the pain from her contractions. 

“Ok, I’m not going to take that outburst to heart because I know you're going through a lot of pain right now, but you will be apologizing to me later.” She stated, bemused. Judy glared at her but nodded curtly. 

The nurses behind her got to work and she grimaced at the pain for a quick second but the numbing agent worked fast and she didn’t feel anything afterward. But what really helped at that moment was that Judy didn’t feel  _ any  _ of the contraction afterward either. And  _ that _ is something of a true miracle. 

“What happens now?” Nina questioned from beside her. 

“Now we wait until she’s dilated enough to start the birth. Actually, you wouldn’t mind if I checked right now? For safety reasons?” April asked unsurely. Judy was confused but nodded nonetheless. 

“I mean, as long as nothings wrong, then sure…” She shrugged. 

“Oh, I doubt anythings going to be wrong,” April assured with a flick of her paw as she promptly grabbed some gloves and threw them on. Nina scoffed, still her, and laughed. 

“With the day we’ve been having, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“Stop jinxing things!” Fru demanded from her shoulder, an irritated stop of her foot. Judy laughed at the two but refocused her attention on April, and the wide-eyed look she had on her face. 

“What? Is something wrong?”

“Called it!” Nina shouted triumphantly, getting promptly hushed by Fru. 

“No! I mean, everything looks right medically speaking. But…”

“But what April? Spit it out!” Judy pleaded, leaning forward. 

“Don’t lean forward! You might push them out!” She warned, causing Judy to freeze immediately. 

“Push them out, April what is going on?!” 

“Well….you’re sorta crowning. At least, I think.” April paused and tilted her head to think. 

“I’m crowning!?” She exclaimed. 

“That, or you had an adventurous dye-job down there. No judgment, of course!” April stated awkwardly. Judy stared at her with an unamused look on her face. She took the joke and nodded. 

“Yeah, your crowning.”

“So get Dr. Firefox back in here! I can’t give birth without her!” Judy demanded. 

“Right! I will go get her. Last time I checked she just finished closing up the patient so she should be here soon.” April proclaimed confidently. Suddenly the door swung open and revealed Virginia. Like the fates were listening at that very second. 

“What’s the damage, Kepner?” She swept into the room with a fierce and productive look on her face, and her glasses only added to said fierceness. 

“And when I say soon I mean right now.” April laughed and got to her feet, an almost salute position. “No damage as of yet, but she is crowning…I think…”

“Well do you think or do you know? They teach you these things in medical school Kepner, not exactly something you shouldn’t be familiar with when dealing with expecting mothers.” Virginia stated, a serious expression covering her face. 

“I know that! Um…” April stuttered, struggling to think up the rest of her statement. Virginia sighed and gave her a small pat on the back. 

“You held up the fort long enough, that’s very impressive for an intern who's only been here for a few months. Thank you for that. Now I need you to grab a cup full of ice chips.” She proclaimed. 

“Wait, why do you need ice chips?” April questioned. Dr. Firefox made a small finger gun towards Judy’s direction, where she looked as if about to burst into flames from both intense heat and anger. April made a small nod in affirmation before dashing out of the room. 

Virginia finished setting up before heading over to Judy to make sure she’s alright. 

“You hanging in there?” Judy gave a hesitant shrug in response. 

“The room feels hotter, and I can’t exactly feel my contractions anymore so I guess that’s a bonus from this epidural.” She laughed.

“Well, I’m happy to hear that. Let me just quickly check how far you’re dilated and then we’ll see from there” Virginia said, smiling fondly. She grabbed an extra pair of gloves from the nurses and went behind the sheet, only sighing and tilting her head. 

“Please don’t tell me what I think you're going to say…” Judy groaned, swinging her back tiredly.

“If I didn’t, then I’d be going against my doctor’s code.” She stated sadly. “You’re 10 centimeters dilated, and I’m absolutely sure that right now one of your kit’s head is nearly halfway out here.” 

Judy cried in agony, a small disbelieving laugh. 

“This is  _ really _ not my day…” 

At that moment April reentered the room, a cool cup of ice chips in her paws. Nina instantaneously snatched it and brought it over to Judy. 

“These might help?” She exclaimed while offering one to her. Judy begrudgingly grabbed it and stuck it in her mouth. Surprisingly, it helped cool her down, but not completely enough that she wasn’t still an emotional atomic bomb just waiting to be set off. 

“Unfortunately, Judy, this does mean that I’ll have to start. The kits can’t stay in there any longer.” Virginia exclaimed, shaking her head solemnly. Judy spit out the ice chip in her mouth.

“What, no! I-I can’t! I know that the labor can’t just stop automatically but I can’t do it now!” She argued. 

“I’m sorry but if they stay in there any longer there is a chance of complications to the kits and you as well…” Dr. Firefox warned. “I can’t allow that to happen, under any circumstances.” Judy made a whine in protest and turned to Nina. 

“I can’t give birth without Nick, they aren’t here yet!”

“I-I don’t know what to say. I can try calling them again.” She offered, pulling out her phone. Judy nodded vigorously, hoping that this would be the time they’d pick up and say they’re right around the corner. 

As Nina was busy attempting to call and locate her missing brother and family the others in the room flinched when hearing a sudden and very loud bang come from the windows in the room. And as luck would have it, Nick and Cooper were behind them, in the most shocking entrance ever. Judy tried to sit up but the epidural and nurses surrounding her made it kind of hard to see everything that happened next. 

Nina rushed to the windows and opened them immediately, practically dragging them both in by the ear. 

“You lunatics better have a good explanation as to why you’re behind the window and stories above the ground, or I will break your tail bones.” She threatened. “Because we have all been freaking out for hours, Judy especially. At that moment Nick got rid of whatever harness he was wearing and rushed to her side, engulfing her in a tight hug. 

“Are you ok? I didn’t miss it yet, did I?” He asked frantically. She shook her head and was about to answer but Virginia did so for her. 

“Actually, before you two scared the life out of my medical staff we were going to start the birth.” She stated sarcastically. 

“Really?! Oh my god…” Nick laughed as he ran a paw through the fur on his head. 

“Yep. One of your kits is actually nearly headfirst out into the world so I’d like to get started soon if that’s possible.” Virginia pleaded. Nick, the invested and soon-to-be father that he was tried leaning forward intrigued but Judy stopped him but lurching him back by the arm. 

“Oh no, you are staying right here by my side. I’m not risking you fainting.” She chuckled threateningly. Nick looked at her with confusion, as if he  _ wasn’t  _ going to canonical faint. 

“Don’t give me that look, I’ve heard stories from Victoria. You are just like your father.” Judy smirked. 

“I can second that!” Nina yelled while still slapping some sense into Cooper. “Crazy idiot, jumping into the window like some sort of spy…” Everyone laughed but in the background of all the chaos Virginia sighed and adjusted her glasses irritatingly, becoming angrier by the second of how slow this birth was moving. 

“As much as I love this little sitcom you all have got going on, these kits will die if you don’t start pushing.” She exclaimed. 

“Oh, right um…” Judy looked to Nick uncertainly. He intertwined his paw with hers, holding on and saying everything through that tiny gesture. It was going to be ok. She could do this. Judy sighed and nodded towards Dr. Firefox. 

“Alright then, April can you get a watch ready because we’re going to help give birth to three beautiful little…actually…I don’t know what to call them.” She laughed. 

“Funnies?” Nina suggested. 

“Boxes?” Cooper added, before yet again getting swatted by Nina for no reason. “Ow.” 

“Let’s just call them our children and see from there, ok?” Nick exhaled. Judy giggled and smiled at him. 

“I think that sounds like a good idea.”

“Best idea I’ve heard all night,” Virginia exclaimed. “Now let’s hope to see them in a few short hours. Judy, on three…I want you to push, can you do that?”

She nodded. It wasn’t exactly a confident nod, but still, Judy had to go through with this whether she wanted to or not. 

“One…two…thre -”

“Wait!” Judy screamed before she finished her countdown.

“What’s wrong?” Nick questioned, immediately focusing on her.

“I-I just…” She stuttered, becoming instantly scared of what was about to happen. 

“Hey, look at me,” He proclaimed, grounding her. “I’ll be right by your side. And I know this is scary, all of this scary, but you have all us to be right there for you. We aren’t leaving. And if it becomes too hard you can squeeze my paw as hard as you want. 

“She’s probably gonna squeeze it right off.” Nina joked while she smirked at the thought of him going through that. Nick rolled his eyes and kept holding on tighter to Judy. 

“You can do this…” He assured. Judy bit her lip but nodded determinedly. 

“Yay, I thought that would never end.” Virginia sighed. “On three, and no more pauses.” She stared ahead and sighed.

“On three.”

Dr. Firefox smiled encouragingly and went behind the small set-up curtain. 

“One…”

Judy followed suit and counted along, a way of preparing herself as well. 

“Two…”

Nick did too. 

“Three!” 

**To Be Continued…In Part 4**

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahhhhh, don't you just love cliffhangers :)
> 
> Anyway, this was supposed to be published around two or three days ago but then I got this random surge of creative writing energy and wanted to switch things around a little bit. Plus, I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and I rarely see that nowadays with this story for a long time now, and it was great to feel like that again. >:3
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and please try not to suffer too much while waiting for the next, and hopefully last part. 
> 
> ~Till next time my little gelflings (If you know this reference I love you)
> 
> Byeeeeeeeeee :)))))


	23. Chapter 23: The Delivery ~ Part 4

**Chapter 23: The Delivery ~ Part 4**

* * *

Cooper drummed his knee against the cool metal leg of the table. A consistent loop that never stopped. Its entirety releasing an aura of stress and nervousness that he hadn’t the faintest clue of how to make it stop. The thumping filled the walls of the room he was in, “Thump, Thump, Thump, Thu-”

“Will you stop banging your leg against the table!” Nina hissed from the chair in front of him. A clear vein popping out of her forehead. 

Cooper rolled his head and continued nonetheless, sticking out his tongue in protest. 

“Maybe I’d stop if you asked politely. And if you stop sharpening your claws on the leather of your chair.” He argued. 

“I’m freaking out! This is how I cope!” She exclaimed. 

“Well, this is how I cope too!” Cooper retaliated. 

“Both of you stop bickering!” Their mother demanded, then returning to her own fidgeting tail by the couch respectfully placed in the farthest corner from the siblings. Supposedly the apple didn’t fall far from the tree with this family. 

All three of them returned to silence. Eerie and tension-filled silence. It was hard to keep still when one of the most climactic events was happening in the room to the right of theirs. And in their case, it was a birth that no one wanted to go wrong. 

Dr. Firefox had asked them to leave the room around 10 minutes into the birth when the cramped room was becoming all too aware to Judy. Victoria arrived shortly after. Without the help of Jack of course. Since the idea of scaling the hospital building with nothing but a rope and a spark of faith wasn’t pleasing to her at the very least. 

And while they had only been stuck in this sorry attempt of a waiting room, which had only been a repurposed conference room, for around 5 or 10 minutes, they all desperately wanted to know one thing. How were Judy and the kits? 

John then burst into the room with a carton of Snarlbucks products in one paw while Victoria’s purse on the other, breaking the silence. 

“Ok, so I got a black coffee, straight, for Nina. A peppermint mocha for Cooper and-” He turned to face the group only to droop his ears. “No news?”

“No news…” They answered gloomily. Nina banged her head on the table in agony. “They’re probably dead.”

“She’s giving birth not sacrificing her very being.” Cooper sneered. 

“Well, you don’t know that!” She answered hysterically. Victoria sighed tiredly and glanced back at her husband. 

“Please tell me you brought my order too…”

“An iced pineapple matcha drink for the lady, of course.” He smiled fondly and brought over her drink as he sat down beside her. 

“You’re a saint.” Victoria cooed. The siblings grabbed their drink as well and the room surprisingly settled into a peaceful environment as opposed to the annoying chaos just seconds before. 

However, it didn’t last long before an ear-splitting wail could be heard from outside. The group tensed and Nina immediately got out of her chair and headed out of the room, forgetting about her scorching hot black coffee and throwing it lazily across the table as it spilled onto Cooper’s lap. 

“Ow!” He hissed in pain, but she had already left. The others waited anxiously, and when Nina finally came back they wanted answers. 

“Was that Judy, did she have one of the kits?” Victoria pressed. 

She slowly shook her head and shrugged. “It must’ve been from another room…” 

Their ears drooped concurrently from disappointment. 9 months of waiting can drive a mammal insane from wanting to meet their newest family member. But no one could have wanted that more than Nick and Judy. And God knows how they must be feeling right now. Of course, Judy must be in immense pain and Nick would obviously be stressing out and staying calm at the same time. All the while making sure he didn’t explode off the face of the planet himself from his own stress. 

Then another cry, a much louder one this time. Almost as if it came from the room right next to theirs… 

Nina gasped and everyone else turned to her. 

“Go!” Cooper urged. “Check if it was her!” She rushed out of the room but shortly came back, confusing everyone once again. Thankfully, Nick entered the room and helped answer everything. 

“Judy just gave birth to one of them.” He proclaimed, smiling widely. 

“And? What are you still doing here!” Victoria chastised. “Get back in there!” Nick widened his eyes and nodded, already departing and shutting the door with a frantic slam. 

“Wait, I thought we all wanted to hear more about them? That kit is my potential niece or nephew!” Cooper whined. 

“It’s a niece - well, she’s your niece -  _ our  _ niece,” Nina explained suddenly. 

“How do you know? Did you see her?” John questioned. 

“Nah I could smell her when I got in the room.” She bragged, but then squinted her eyes for a second. “Or that might have been one of the nurses…”

Cooper threw back his head and groaned. 

“I’m never going to meet them…” He whimpered. Throughout all of this Victoria continued sipping her drink seemingly while laughing at everything in front of her. 

“I’m a grandmother…” She chuckled. 

“And I’m an uncle but I can’t even see the little guys!” Cooper cried out before plopping his chin on the table wistfully.

“Yeah but think about it this way,” Nina proclaimed, sitting down beside him. “Our little Nicky’s an actual dad, while we’re still a chip off the old block, ready to take the world by storm!” She beamed, a little crazily. 

“If anybody’s taking the world by storm it’ll be all you little Zorro,” John chuckled, moving across the room to envelop her in a loving hug. Nina rolled her eyes at the old, almost forgotten, nickname but smiled despite that. 

“Oh my god, I just realized something…” Cooper laughed, speaking up. 

“What’s that sweetheart?” Victoria asked, still focusing on finishing the rest of her drink by playing around with the straw. 

“Today is March 31’st…” He exclaimed before looking at the clock at the side of the room and reading the time, 10:58. “For about one more hour. 

“So?” Nina questioned, confused about where he was going with this. 

“So, it means that Judy might give birth to one of the kits on April 1’st,” Cooper explained finally. 

The room stayed silent for a moment after that, but it slowly broke once Nina exploded into a fit of giggles and the others promptly followed. The entire room was soon filled with the sounds of roaring laughter, and nearly everybody was doubling over. If anyone were to walk into the room and see the scene unfold in front of them they would be instantly confused. And at the very least concerned. 

Nick, who just so happened to be one of the mammals, reentered the room with a broad smile before quickly bunching his eyebrows together in bewilderment. 

“What’s going on you guys?” He asked hesitantly. His family continued laughing, not answering the question, but Nina eventually stood up and walked beside him, wiping her eyes from tears of giggling so hard. She patted him on the shoulder and snorted. 

“Your kid's birthday is a joke!” 

“Shut up Nina, it isn’t even that funny!” Cooper hollered from the table. 

“What…?” Nick repeated, still utterly confused. 

“We’re laughing because there’s a slight chance that one of your kits will be born tomorrow in the early morning, on April Fools Day,” Victoria explained with a laugh. He stared at his family with a disbelieving shake of the head. 

“No, no that isn’t going to happen.” Nick snickered. 

“And what makes you say that baby bro? The stars have aligned, the universe has been preparing for this -  _ I  _ have been preparing for this. For the day where the world pranks you in the best way possible…” She drawled excitedly. He rolled his eyes and removed the paw she had resting on his shoulder. 

“First of all,” Nick started, “I hate you.” Receiving a very unfazed shrug from Nina. “And second of all, I doubt that will happen since Judy just gave birth to the second one.” He smirked. The others in the room awed in excitement, congratulating the two of them. 

But Nina stared at him in a skeptical state. 

“Right now? How far apart would make them?” She questioned. Nick pursed his lips in thought, trying to remember in his mind. 

“I think 2 minutes if we’re being exact…” 

Nina gasped and grabbed him instantly, shaking his body frantically. 

“Bro! Do you know what that means?!” She exclaimed. 

“Yeah, it would mean that they’re -” He tried to answer, already having enough information on the topic from the countless books he’s read with Judy, but Nina effortlessly stopped him. 

“That they’re twins!” She squealed. “Under 8 minutes apart would make them twins!” 

“Wait, how would that even work?” Cooper questioned, bunching his eyebrows together. 

“If two kits are born within a close proximity, under 8 minutes, and they have identical characteristics they can be qualified as twins,” Victoria explained. 

“Did they look the same?” He pressed, still not completely understanding the topic. 

“Well, they both “looked” like foxes. And there was a white spot around their eyes…” Nick smiled, remembering how adorable they looked before being taken to get cleaned. 

“What do you mean they “looked” like foxes?” Nina asked. 

“They must be hybrids,” John intervened. “Since your different species, it isn’t impossible for the kits to look like a distinctive mix of a fox and a bunny.” Nick looked slightly surprised that his father knew so much about it but nodded before turning back to Nina. 

“Yeah, what he said.” 

“Alright…” She nodded slowly, but immediately changed expressions and started shoving him out of the room. “Now get back to her before she pops again!”

“Wait!” Cooper urged, wanting to hear more about the kits, but Nick was already pushed out of the room and leaving him with more questions than answers. He groaned and moved around the table to Nina. 

“I was this close to hearing about them!” He whimpered, putting his claws together with barely any room separating them. She patted his shoulder unhelpfully, pursing her lips with a shrug. 

“Ah…sorry about that.” 

Cooper cried softly and placed his muzzle on her shoulder. “I hate this day…” He murmured softly. Victoria barked from the couch, feeling the night’s edge creep up on her. “Wait till we’ll be here all the next morning as well.”

“What makes you say that?” John asked. She slowly turned to look up at him and smirked. 

“I have a feeling that that last kit of theirs won’t be leaving anytime soon.” 

The siblings groaned as she continued to laugh amusingly. It was going to be a long,  _ long  _ night indeed.

**~o0o~ April 1st (3:24 am) ~o0o~**

Nina stared tiredly at the white, empty wall in front of her. Swiveling back and forth on her now tattered chair. She waited a few seconds, then stopped, and yawned. The quietness in the room was becoming ever the impact on the group’s lack of sleep, her parents especially. She swirled around and gave a lazy glance at the others, they were all almost dead-asleep. Cooper, on the brink of slamming his head on the table from the arm he was using to perch his head on, and Victoria and John sprawled against each other in a sickeningly adorable way. 

She used whatever might there was left in her to turn the chair around again, and this time, faced the door. 

Little light was shining through the cracks, expectantly due to the cheap fluorescent lights, the hospital used to illuminate the hallways. But Nina didn’t care about the hospital's poor expense choices or the door in its entirety. No, if anything, she only cared about who would hopefully come through that door and give them their cheerful news so they could finally go home and sleep. Not on tattered chairs, or weak arms, or god-knows-where-it’s-been couches, but their own beds. 

“We’ve been here for...about 10 hours now, I think. And it’s been pretty hard on us all. Of course, everybody would love to experience the miracle life with their family, so I doubt we’ll be leaving anytime soon…” She mumbled incoherently. 

Cooper, still in his near lifeless state, lifted his head and opened his eyes to see the confusing conversation in front of him. Nina, speaking to no one at all it seemed. 

“Who are you talking to?” He questioned irritatingly, rubbing the creases of his eyes for what felt like the thousandth time that night. Nina spun the chair and glanced at him. 

“I’m interviewing myself…obviously…” She answered as if the very thing she was doing made complete sense. 

“Interviewing? With a wall?” Cooper exclaimed, gesturing to the area she appeared to be talking to. Nina glanced back and nodded. 

“Yeah, like in the Office…Y’know, whenever something funny or boring happens they always go through the interviews with the documentary crew taping them…” He squinted his eyes at her dumbfoundedly, thinking that it is  _ way _ too early for otherworldly shenanigans. 

“I’m too tired for this…” Cooper sighed, returning to his head-on-arm state, and blocking out the rest of her existence for hopefully long enough that he would find peace. 

But when the door instantly blasted open and shook everyone in the room awake, he soon realized there would be no time for any sense of peace at all. The sound was loud enough to cause Nina to jump as high as the ceiling out of fear while making Cooper both slam his head on the table from shock and then proceed to fall onto the floor from the sudden movement. It was amusing, to say the least. Yet, out of all the commotion, their parents happily stayed asleep, not appearing fazed at all. But not much of a shocker when you lived nearly your entire life with three chaotic entities for children. 

Despite that, Cooper and Nina angrily escaped from their tired states and stared at the source of the turmoil. In the now opened doorway, April stood awkwardly with gawking eyes. 

“Sorry…” She whispered apologetically. “Did I wake you guys up?” They both emerged from the ground with a sour expression and Cooper glared at her with a strained smile

“Nooo…of course not!” He proclaimed sarcastically. “We’ve been awake for hours! Definitely not trying to not push ourselves to the brink of death!”

“Oh…well, that’s good!” April beamed cheerfully. “I thought you guys were going to kill me for a second there…”

“We’d never dream of that…not with all the witnesses…” Nina mumbled.

“Did you say something?” April pressed innocently, tilting her head. 

“Nope! Were you coming in here ever so abruptly and rudely at 3:00 in the morning to ask us something?” She exclaimed, changing the topic.

“Oh, yes! Um - wait…what was it…” April paused, trying to remember what she came to tell them. And so early in the day as well. Nina was on the verge of nearly choking her out of spite due to the fire of anger growing in her tired eyes but the loud and awakening cry that came from the other room explained everything. 

“Finally!” She exclaimed relieved, shoving April out of the way and dragging Cooper out of the room so they could meet their niece or nephew and get the heck out of this dang hospital. They both burst into the hospital room, which had been filled with the cries of a screaming infant and an unfazed nurse, who was busy finishing cleaning up the rest of the room. But It was surprisingly empty. 

Being half asleep for nearly the entire morning must have made them both unknown of the rest of the staff leaving already. Dr. Firefox included. And the fact that all three of the kits had already been cleaned and prepped to be returned to Judy, who had an equal look of sleep deprivation on her face. Giving birth isn’t the same energy stealing activity as running a marathon. After all, you’d be literally pushing out a living being from a very small hole in your body, and god forbid someone out there having to face the pain without the backbone of an epidural. 

Nick was there as well, of course, right beside Judy as he stared at their kits with both a tearful and hesitant look on his face. It must have been because of the fact that they were startling small, nearly as big as his own paws. Which, even then we’re bigger than Judy’s. She giggled at his fearful expression and that was when she finally noticed Nina and Cooper waiting expectantly in the doorway.

“Oh!” Judy exclaimed quietly, hoping to not wake up the other sleeping kits while still attempting to calm down the crying one. “Hi…” She waved, grabbing Nicks’s attention as well as he bit back a laugh at the sight of the bags big enough to carry entire watermelons still forming underneath his sibling’s eyes. 

Nina rolled her eyes when noticing this and instead, crept past the sleeping kits, who were the only ones besides her parents to have that privilege at the moment, and stood over the cribs quietly, staring at the two. 

“Are these two the twins?” She questioned, whispering. Cooper instantly followed, showing up behind her as he peered down at the kits excitingly. Judy nodded and smiled. 

“Nina, Cooper, please meet Octavia and Oscar Wilde-Hopps.” Nick proclaimed softly, beaming like a love-struck father when doing so. 

They both resided the urge to bawl into tears right then and there, Cooper especially. But how could you not with such cute furballs like them! They were so tiny! Yet so adorable at the same time! Someone's heart would definitely explode from all the adorableness in the next hour or so. Probably Cooper but still. 

Octavia, the twin on the left squirmed slightly in her sleep but otherwise stayed sound asleep like Oscar. They were obviously fraternal twins, different fur colors, muzzle shape, even their tails look different. But what stood out the most was the white patch of fur circling their eyes, Octavia’s right and Oscar's left, opposing each other like a unique twin quirk. Yet from what Nina could point out, they  _ looked _ like fox kits, but their coats were abnormally thinner than that of a newborn kit. Their tails appeared normal, small for a baby, but will probably grow with the years. 

Cooper looked absolutely heart-struck over them. And even though Nina didn’t want to admit it aloud, they were really beautiful. Of course, if she admitted that Judy would probably start bawling, which would only cause a domino effect from there… 

“You don’t think they look weird, do you?” She pressed from her bedstead with fear lingering in her voice. Nina whipped around immediately and shook her head. 

“What?! Of course not!” She whispered yelled in response. “Do you?!” 

“No!” Judy repented, trying not to disturb the kit still in her arms. “You were just so quiet and I didn’t mean anything, and I just gave birth I’m delusional!” Nina chuckled at her frantic expression and shook her head. 

“Hey, it’s fine. They don’t look weird, but there's definitely nothing I’ve ever seen before.” 

“Oscar looks like me….” Cooper bawled, placing a finger ever so gently on the tip of his nose. Nick looked up with a bewildered face.

“What?! He’s my son!” 

“Yeah, but look at the fur color. It’s obviously auburn like mine!” He argued. Nick stuttered angrily and moved beside to debunk his point. 

“It’s red, not auburn!” He whispered back, scoffing. 

“That’s another shade of red!” Cooper hissed. 

“Can both of you please stop yelling before you wake up Hazel?” Judy questioned frustratingly from her bed. They all turned to her and the boys embarrassingly whispered sorry before she threw them out. Nina instead moved closer to her with big teary eyes. 

“Her name is Hazel? It’s so perfect…” She cooed, bending over to get a look at her niece. 

“We thought it has a nice ring to it, plus her fur is also a hazelnut kind of color so it just fits.” Judy shrugged, smiling down at her daughter, who had now finally calmed down and was busy clutching onto her yet still not opening her eyes. 

“Oh my god, she’s even more adorable!” Cooper beamed, bending beside them as well while Nick followed. All three of them were absolutely adorable. Which brought up the fact that Nina might be stuck here forever if her parents wake up and want to see the kits as well. Because of the way both her brothers are acting, no one was going to leave. And the thought of that nearly made her pass out on the floor. 

She yawned tiredly and rubbed her eyes, wanting nothing more than to head back to her apartment and sleep in an actual bed as opposed to some destroyed leather chair. Judy took note of this and redirected her attention towards her concerningly. 

“Are you alright? You seem tired?” She asked, tilting her head. Nina flinched and bounced back to the forced energized state she was already dawning. 

“Hmm? Yep, I’m fine! Besides, you're the one who just gave birth, you should leave the kits to Nick and the rest of us and get some sleep!” Judy denied this with a swat of her paw and laughed quietly. 

“I’m fine, surprisingly rejuvenated despite what I just did.”

“You mean giving birth to our three amazing spectacular children or the surviving car crash?” Nick smirked, eyeing Nina at the end of his sentence. They both rolled their eyes, knowing he wasn’t going to let  _ that  _ one go no matter how many times Judy tries explaining to him that if it weren’t for her they would’ve collided with that car instead of the light pole and potentially have faced a more catastrophic accident. 

Cooper slung an arm around Nick lazily and smiled. 

“Yeah, but you weren’t even there to be with her until hours later…” He exclaimed slyly. “So there’s no one really at fault, but fate itself.” Judy nodded in affirmation but gave Nick a glance that read she was completely fine going through the car crash and rushing moments to the hospital without him. They were always there for each other, even miles apart. 

At that moment Hazel let out a tired yawn just loud enough to bring the attention of everyone in the room back to her. Her nonexistent teeth stuck out like small invisible bumps in her mouth and she was near to opening her eyes for the first time. Nina leaned forward in anticipation as the others gasped hopefully. 

And then the door swung open. Again. For practically the hundredth time in their duration here. Which then immediately pushed Hazel and the twins into a crying rant from the loud noise. Seriously, Murphy’s Law must have picked its favorite family torment on because this isn't something that would happen on a daily basis. 

Victoria sauntered straight through, notably with a pep in her step, and John popped in soon after. They were both looking ten times more filled with energy than Nina and Cooper, which, for whatever unexplainable reason, made no sense at all. Their mother instantly moved them out of the way and got a better look at her granddaughter. It was then when Nina resisted the urge to bark a laugh at the thought of her mother being a for-real grandma now. 

“Sweetheart she’s adorable! The kit has some pipes though, like her father’s.” She noted with a smirk. Everyone chuckled when Nick slightly flushed from the embarrassment but the moment was quickly ended by Hazel’s constant wailing. Victoria promptly took over, surprising Judy, but she kept her mouth shut when Vic started to make soothing patterns on Hazel’s forehead which immediately calmed her down. 

Everyone stared at her shockingly, since it was assumed to be nearly impossible to calm down a screaming infant when their going full demon child on you. But, yet again, it looks like all the dramatics and overplayed assumptions movies and media tell you nowadays aren’t reliable. If anything, it’s just a dump truck full of fake news. Theatrical made for the viewers who only enjoy drama like _ that _ kind of news. 

Judy simply stared at her, mouth agape. “H-How…how did you do that?” She shrugged and flipped the nonexistent hair on her shoulder. 

“When you have three kids you have a lot of good tips under your belt. But that trick only ever wired on Wilde kids, from as far as I know. My grandma used it, my mother, me, and maybe now even you.” Victoria beamed fondly. She averted her eyes from the chance of potential tears and instead looked back at her daughter. Her beautiful, actual, in front of her very eyes, daughter. 

Nina bit back tears. Today isn’t so terrible after all. Even on barely fours of sleep. 

**~o0o~ April 1st, the same morning, only six hours later ~o0o~**

Judy sat in a small chair adjacent to the crib and peered over the edges of them, watching her children’s chests rise and fall slowly. A wide smile grew on her face, but she reminded herself not to get emotional again. Tears, as much as Judy wanted them to come, wouldn’t suppress her immersive amount of joy. That stupid, cheesy kind of joy that only a new mother would get. 

Yes, there was that scary feeling there still lingering in her mind that she wouldn’t be a great mother, nor feel that exhilarating joy you’d expect to get when seeing your child for the first time. But after she gave birth to Hazel, and the doctors finished everything else, she  _ did  _ have that chance to see her kits for the first time. And sweet cheese and crackers, Judy didn’t want to look away. 

It was like the same feeling she got when Nick first told her he loved her, when they found out they were going to have two girls and a boy, and when she met his family for the first time. Only, when she looked at the kits, it felt ten times more amplified. But it was so freaking amazing that Judy can’t help but feel that way. 

Nick walked into the room, an insanely large car seat toppling over him as he struggled to enter the doorway. Judy got off her seat with a concerned look while she squinted her eyes. 

“Do you need any help?” He shook his head and continued to drag it on top of him and she had the fight back the girlfriend urges within her to help. But if that thing began to squish the very life out of him Judy wouldn’t hesitate to step in. She always was the slightly stronger of the two. Not that she was bragging.

He finally set down the car seat on the floor in front of them and moved to stand beside her, planting a small kiss on her lips as he cupped her face. 

“How do you feel?” Nick pressed worryingly as if another terrible thing would happen spontaneously because he looked away yet again. Judy sighed, rolling her eyes at his unnecessary overprotectiveness, and nodded. 

“I’m fine Slick if you’re going to fuss over anyone you should be fussing over the kits.” 

“ _ Our  _ kits.” He corrected, smiling. Judy giggled and mirrored his expression with a caring fondness. The two turned around to face them and she laid her head on his shoulder and stared.

The kits were still quietly asleep, a pleasant alternative to the loud cries hours before. And since they were all smaller than the crib’s own interior, all three of the kits could share one at the same time. Which was an added financial bonus since, after all, Judy and Nick were still only 17-year-olds without a source of income except that of his amazing parents. 

Judy caressed Oscar’s cheek gently, trying not to disturb him, but sighed solemnly. Despite the calm and cheerful atmosphere she couldn’t but help and think about the following months. Of course, she’d stay at home and be with them, but her GED tests would be happening in a few months. And once the email telling her everything was sent from the school then she would know. Know the exact time she’d have left with her kits until having to decide how much time to split between them and her studies.

But despite the thought of spending on something other than the kits in their first few months terrifying her, there was still a constant. And that constant was Nick. Even if the world, for whatever stupid reason - zombies, aliens from space, something like that - cause the world as she knew it to disappear just like that, Judy knew that Nick would still be there. For the kits, for his family, and for her. No matter what. 

He’d be there to brush Octavias silvery grew fur in the morning before school and wipe the tears from the identical green eyes they both shared. Nick would be there for Oscar whenever the twins themselves would start fighting like the siblings they are, especially about who's the better one. And he’d especially be there for Hazel, white-spotted freckles and all. For all their unique quirks and all their firsts, he’d be there. 

Judy smiled and brushed up closer to him. Allowing his tail to curl around the bottom of her calves in a loving way. 

“They’re really cut-” He was about to finish the sentence but stopped and looked at her hesitantly. She realized why and laughed. 

“You can call them cute, they’re kits too so it isn’t a bad thing.”

“Yeah, but I can’t even tell which one of them looks more like a bunny or a fox!” Nick proclaimed quietly. “The twins both have semi-long tails but their muzzles are shorter than most fox kits.”

“So? Hazel has the thickest fur I’d ever seen in a bunny, and have you ever seen any of my siblings to have her kind of ears?” She questioned, pointing out the distinct pointiness to them. “No. But that doesn’t matter, because they’re our kits and the way they look is just a perfect mix of the both of us and our families.” 

Nick grinned and embraced her tighter. “I’m going to guess that you're no longer worried about having others see them on street with us and freak out about it?” 

“Nope!” She beamed confidently. “They’re too cute to point an gawk at anyway.” 

“That they are...just like their mother.” He smirked. Judy looked up at him and jumped to place a small kiss on his cheek, just like he did before, and it was thankfully easy now that she didn’t have three living beings controlling her center of gravity. 

“Well, of course, I’m all around beautiful.” She bragged sarcastically. “But most importantly, they’re going to be smart and all-around resourceful like their dad.”

Nick let out a sputtering laugh and looked down at her. “When have I ever been resourceful?” Judy gave him a disbelieving look and shoved him into a nearby chair. 

“You’re gonna have to sit down for that one because I have a list that’s gonna keep here for an extra hour at least.” She quipped excitingly. He snickered again but complied, awaiting this “list” of hers with an intriguing passion. 

And at that moment, Judy felt that stupid cheesy feeling in her chest again. The fluttery kind, the happy kind. So even if the next few months were going to be filled with unknown chaos, and she still had a whole lot to learn about being a parent, Judy knew that for the smallest second, they’d be ok. Not perfect, but ok.

And with their family now complete, after 8-9 whole months of this crazy adventure nothing, for the moment at least, would be stopping them now. 

**End of The Delivery Arc :) To Be Continued…**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SWEET CINNAMON ROLLS I AM BEAT
> 
> This Arc took me forever, but I really hope you guys liked it. Small disclaimer if you confused by the end, this story isn't over and will still continue. Despite how dramatic I made it seem XD. The ending probably won't come soon, but this will definitely be done before next school year I hope. 
> 
> Also! My comment box is always open you guys, so if you have any suggestions for the story, the kits character development, or Judy and Nicks advancement as parents and actual adults please leave me suggestions, I'm always happy to read them! :)
> 
> I'll leave a small description of the kits that I had initially thought up for those who didn't understand it fully from the chapter. 
> 
> Octavia: Eldest twin by 3 minutes, born on March 31'st, 10:56 pm. Emerald green eyes, silver-grey fur with black-tipped ears and tail. One big white splotch of fur circling her right eye while circling Oscars left. The chaotic twin and will probably be Nina's prodigy. In short, she is spunky and resilient while also a tad bit cocky like childhood Nick. I have a feeling you guys will like her.
> 
> Oscar: Middle kit in the litter, born at 10:59 pm. He has blue-green eyes, (That eye color-changing thing), and dark red fur that is super fluffy with white-tipped ears and tail instead. Oscar has Nick's confidence and Judy's determination so I'd see him doing anything from a detective/police officer to whatever his heart desires.
> 
> Hazel: She is the youngest, being born on April 1'st, 3:25 am. She has violet eyes like Judy and hazelnut fur with white spots all around it, giving off the image of freckles (And because there are some bunnies out there with white spots too) Her ears are slender, slightly rounded, but with pointed tips. I see her being really artistic and creative, kind like Judy and Cooper, but more of a quiet kid instead of really talkative. Only outside of the family though. Hazel definitely looks like a mix of Judy and Nick, fur being the only big difference. 
> 
> They're all omnivores, hence the predator and prey diet mix. But they can try eating strictly one diet for specific reasons to themselves. I'll even through a back to BunnBurrow chapter in the future where Nick and Judy will definitely have to take the kits back to meet Karla so she can help them understand the diet plan and anything else. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys liked the chapter and if anyone wants to reach out with an interesting idea, please comment! I will see you all in the next one! 
> 
> Bye, and stay safe!! >:3

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you guys so much for reading the first chapter of "Highschool and Unplanned Pregnancies."
> 
> Don't worry there will definitely be more chapters to come, I hope to write at least 100 XD, or maybe 50 who knows?
> 
> I will be in school while writing this but will take the time to carefully write each chapter so the story moves along smoothly.
> 
> If you've read the summary you'd know there will be some surprises in the future chapters but also many more afterward, so be prepared :3
> 
> I hope that you guys are willing to stick through me on this, it will be my first official WildeHopps fanfiction so I hope to receive good feedback.
> 
> Any suggestions let me know! See you next time!


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